Promises Kept
by Roisin Dubh
Summary: Severus' unresolved feelings for Lily fracture his relationship with his girlfriend, Artemis. Years later, will Artemis abandon him to a bloody fate, or does she love him enough to risk everything to save him?
1. Chapter 1: Paths Cross

**Promises Kept**

**Disclaimer 1: **This is AU and OC.Artemis is mine. Pretty much everything else is JKR's and her publisher's. I write this merely for entertainment and the joy of writing, and believe me – I don't profit from it in any monetary way.

**Author's note: **This little story started running around my brain after I read the final Harry Potter book. For those of you who have read my other Severus Snape stories (Thunderstruck and Silver Panther), be warned – this is a TOTALLY different story, and a universe where Serena doesn't exist. Trust me, I still have some Serena-Severus stories brewing, but this one is totally different. Just wanted to set your expectations. I hope you enjoy it as much as my others.

**Chapter 1: Paths Cross**

"Look chaps, there's old Snivellus Snape." James' jeer carried through the air. "Let's go see if anyone's going with him to the Ball after next week's final Quidditch game… I bet the Giant Squid's the only one who could put up with touching… OOF!"

In an instant, James Potter was in a heap on the ground, covered with dust, hearing the laughter of other students around him. He scrambled to his feet and turned to confront whoever had made him fall. Artemis Ollivander sat quietly, her eyebrows raised, with her back against a tree. Her leg was stuck straight out.

"What's the big idea?" shouted James, embarrassed.

"What?" snapped Artemis. "I was sitting here long before you came by, James. Don't blame me because you aren't smart enough to look where you're going."

"Look where I'm going? Where _I'm_ going? You did that on purpose!"

Artemis stood up and put her hands on her hips. She glared back at James. "I'd like to see you prove that, Potter. Don't make the mistake of starting something with me that you can't finish." Around them, some of the other students started to whisper and point. Artemis wasn't one to normally cause trouble, but she did have a reputation that dictated she would finish any fight that someone started with her. She was a scrappy little witch.

"Come on, Prongs," said Sirius, sensing that James was only moments away from drawing his wand. "It's not worth it."

"Says who?" James was still irritated. The fall had happened right in front of Lily Evans and he felt like a fool. He knew he looked a bit ridiculous squaring off with a 16-year-old girl, but his ego wouldn't let it go.

"Listen to your friend, Potter. Getting your ass kicked by a girl isn't going to enhance your reputation any. It sure won't get you a date for the Quidditch Ball after next week's game." Artemis folded her arms in front of her, a clear dare for him to continue this idiocy.

"Like you have a date… what, going to go with Snivelly over there?" James laughed.

Artemis took three steps closer until she was toe to toe with him. "If Severus asked me, I _would_ go with him. I'd take brains over brawn any day of the week."

During this entire exchange, Severus watched intently. He'd known that James was on his way over to taunt him, and he'd been ready, his hand clutching his wand. He'd watched Artemis stick her leg out. She hadn't looked up from her book, but Severus knew she'd done it on purpose. He wasn't, however, about to mention that to Potter.

As Artemis continued to antagonize James Potter, which pleased him to no end, Severus began to look at her in a whole new light. Like him, she was in Slytherin, and he'd seen her around for all the years they'd been in school. She didn't seem to really have an interest in Malfoy and his crew, but she wasn't a recluse either. She had her own circle of friends that intersected with his from time to time.

What he realized now was that Artemis had changed, but for a moment, he couldn't put his finger on what it was. Her dark hair was still arrow straight, falling just past her shoulders, but that was no different. Then it came to him. Artemis had curves – all the right kind of curves to interest a young man. She was no longer the skinny, slab-sided tomboy he'd seen trying out for the Quidditch team. She was actually quite pretty.

When Severus pulled out of his sudden enlightenment, Artemis was sitting down again, and had picked up her book. She completely ignored James, who stood in front of her, fuming, and made sure her leg was stuck straight out as if that was how it had been all along.

James ran a hand through is messy dark hair. Sirius pulled at his elbow. "C'mon mate, this is stupid."

Remus whispered. "Padfoot's right. Plus, Lily is watching. What's she going to think if you keep fighting with Artemis?"

James shrugged. "Yea, you're right. Let's go." He turned his attention towards Lily. "Hey, Evans…"

His attention on Lily Evans got Severus' ire up. He adored Lily, loved her even. And that prat wanted her. He couldn't stand the idea of James and Lily getting together. He'd rather gnaw his own hand off. _But you blew it, Sev, _he thought to himself. _Lily was your friend and you ruined it._

He was thinking of the day that he'd called Lily a "mudblood." In a fit of anger that had been directed at James Potter it had slipped out. That one mistake had ruined everything. Lily had never really forgiven him for that, and after that day, he'd watch Lily slowly get pulled into James Potter's orbit.

He looked up and saw Artemis looking at him. She smiled and nodded and he smiled back. Artemis dropped her eyes back down to her book, trying to hide the blush on her cheeks. She'd been trying to find a way to get Severus to notice her for quite some time.

"That was an interesting exchange," said a cool voice. Severus looked up to find Lucius Malfoy standing next to him, but Lucius was looking over at Artemis. "She's turned rather delicious, hasn't she? I don't think I'd mind having a bite of that!" He laughed.

Somehow, Severus didn't find the comment quite as amusing as Malfoy did, and then Artemis' words floated through his mind… _"If Severus asked me, I would go with him…"_ Severus tucked his book under his arm and stood up to face Lucius. "If you don't mind, Lucius, you can take your appetite elsewhere. I was thinking of asking her to the Quidditch Ball." His tone clearly warned Malfoy away. "And I don't think Cissy would appreciate you sniffing around Artemis."

"You're probably right," answered Lucius. He gave Severus a sly look, "Good luck with it then. Let me know how she is… Ah!" His attention was distracted by the appearance of Narcissa, better known as Cissy to her friends. She was his newest girlfriend. After Lucius walked off, Severus realized that Artemis was gone. He cursed under his breath and then saw her a short distance away, heading back towards Slytherin House. He hurried to catch up.

"Artemis!" he called.

She turned and waited. "Hi, Severus."

"Are you headed back to the common room? I'll walk with you."

"What were you reading?"

"This? Oh, nothing much." He looked down at the book in his hands. "It is just a copy of _A Dissertation on Defending Dark Charms_. You?"

"Subadar's _Astronometric Theory_."

Severus stopped. "So, Artemis, I was wondering…"

She turned to face him, her arms holding the astronomy book across her chest, with a smile. Severus stopped talking for a moment, distracted; her brown eyes were enormous.

"You were wondering what?" she asked.

"Oh, um, sorry… I was thinking that if you weren't already going with someone to the Ball next week that… well, maybe…" He took a breath, looked away, and then looked directly at her. "I was wondering if you might be interested in going with… well, with me."

Her smile widened. "I'd like that very much, Severus."

"Right. Great. We can talk later this week about when to meet." He was still a little flustered. He was no stranger to dating; Severus had dated several Slytherin girls, although he suspected that they were interested in him more as a way to get close to Lucius than any other reason. Nevertheless, asking a girl out for the first time was still a terrifying experience. He wished, more than once, that he'd screwed up the courage to ask Lily out, but there was no more chance of that.

They chatted about safe topics on the way back to Slytherin House: classes, books they'd read, and the upcoming Quidditch game. Once they arrived, Severus said good-bye and went into the boys' rooms. Artemis sat down in the common room with her two closest friends, Raven Statham and Clarissa Rossi.

"You're looking rather happy," said Raven. "What kind of trouble are you into, Artemis?"

"I'm not into any trouble," said Artemis with a laugh. "But I do have a date to the Ball…"

"A date? Who asked you?" Clarissa leaned forward, eager and expectant.

"Severus." Artemis leaned back on the sofa and smiled.

Clarissa and Raven looked at each other. "Severus Snape?" they asked in unison.

"Yes," answered Artemis.

"Good for you," said Raven. "You've always liked him, right?"

"And he's friends with Lucius," sighed Clarissa.

"This isn't going to make Neela happy," said Raven thoughtfully.

"Neela can piss off," said Artemis. Her voice cooled significantly. Neela Nelson, a girl in the year below Artemis, had been flirting more and more with Severus, obviously making an effort to interest him. Even if Severus hadn't really noticed it, Artemis had, and it didn't make her happy.

Right now, however, Neela was a distant irritation. _Severus asked me to the dance, not that silly cow._ Raven and Clarissa continued to gossip about who did or did not have a date for the dance, and whether or not Lucius Malfoy would stay steady with Cissy. Artemis opened her astronometrics book up again and started to read. Before she started, however, she glanced at the door that guarded the boys' dorm, and smiled.

-- -- --

_Well, there's chapter one for y'all. Hope you've enjoyed the start. "Promises Kept" will actually be two stories in one. In Part 1, the story will cover the start of Sev and Artemis' relationship. Part 2 will happen much later on. It will make more sense when we get to the "break" in the stories. I'll update as frequently as I can, but can't promise a regular schedule._

_Feedback is always welcome so long as it is constructive. If you don't like something, tell me WHY you don't like it… that's the only way a writer can improve. And if you DO like something, tell me that, too so I know what is working._


	2. Chapter 2: Something Wicked

**Chapter 2: Something Wicked This Way Comes**

Raucous laughter boiled out the large room Severus' shared with five of his year mates at school. As he came around the corner, he distinctly heard Avery's laugh as well as Dolohov's. There was quite a crowd when he came in the door, and Severus pushed past several people to reach his bed. He threw his books down. All four of his roommates were there: Avery, Mulciber, Dolohov, Travers and Lestrange. Crabbe and Goyle were there, and so were McNair and Rosier. And in the middle of the room, Lucius was holding court.

"Tell them the rest," roared Malfoy. "Go on, Dolph. Tell them."

Rodolphus Lestrange took center stage. "And then, Lucius said, 'dance, puppet' and he started to bob all about the room. Like this…" Dolph began to wobble and jerk around the room, his arms and legs flailing. The laughter redoubled.

Avery leaned over and whispered, "They Imperiused Donald Wilton, the kid from Hufflepuff and made him dance in his underwear." A smile curled Severus' mouth as he imagined the roly-poly Wilton dancing around in nothing but his skivvies.

"And then I put a memory charm on him," said Lucius. "Any time he tells someone what happened, he names a different person as the one who cursed him. Who's going to believe him after three or four different versions?"

Severus dropped his lanky frame onto the bed and got comfortable. Lucius clearly used the story as a warm up. There was more to come, and after a few more comments about Wilton, conversation turned to the final Quidditch game and how they were going to pummel Gryffindor.

Finally, Lucius shifted ever so slightly and everyone stopped talking. "Dolph and I have also been talking to Rabastan and Regulus." Rabastan Lestrange, Dolph's older brother, and Regulus Black had graduated from Hogwart's two years earlier. Both had met a powerful and charismatic wizard who went by the name Voldemort. They'd both come to Lucius and Dolph with tales of amazing Dark Magic, and Voldemort's vision of a world where Muggles served Wizards, and mudbloods were no longer a concern. For many of the students in Slytherin House – and their families – it was an appealing message.

Severus sat up a little straighter. Becoming part of Voldemort's organization – the Death Eaters – held a promise of power and influence. He'd always been the skinny kid, the kid with the tattered clothes who got pushed around by bullies like James Potter. If he was part of the Death Eaters, no one would dare push him around again. The Death Eaters didn't even seem to fear the Ministry of Magic if Lucius and Dolph were using the Imperius Curse with seeming impunity.

"Over summer break," continued Lucius, "Lord Voldemort is allowing us to bring a select handful of recruits for him to evaluate. If you join us, you'll be helping to create a new order in the wizarding world… one where the purebloods…" He gestured around the room. "...have their rightful role in society."

"Is anyone interested?" asked Dolph.

The room clamored with positive responses. Lucius and Rodolphus had been leaking stories of the amazing magic that they had started to learn from Voldemort for months, and the others were eager to get their own share of power.

"Excellent," said Lucius. "I'll speak to you all individually. Don't discuss this with anyone outside of Slytherin House." The group broke up, leaving the roommates alone.

Severus leaned back on his bed and put his arms behind his head, thoughts of the dance gone and ones of his future filling his head. _This Death Eater thing… this is the opportunity to fulfill our potential, our destinies… Our chance to get everything we've ever wanted…Like Lily Evans._

"Sev." Paul Travers interrupted the start of Severus' daydream.

"What?"

"I saw you talking with Artemis today for a bit…" Travers leaned back against the dresser, his arms folded in front of him. Short and stocky, he was Severus' physical opposite in almost every way.

"Is that a problem?" asked Severus.

"No, no, I just wondered because I was thinking of seeing if she had a date for the dance after the game…"

"She does," Sev replied with a smile. "Me."

"Damn, I knew I shouldn't have waited," cursed Travers. "I think I'm the only one without a date now."

"Well, there's always Avis Cobble," said Severus referring to a particularly skinny and awkward First Year. He didn't pay much attention to the string of obscenities that Travers hurled at him.

"I didn't know you liked Artemis," said Avery. "I thought you were hung up on that Lily Evans from Gryffindor."

"Well, I…" began Severus.

"She's a mudblood," growled Dolph.

"Who? Artemis?" asked Travers.

"No, you idiot… Lily Evans…" said Avery.

"Have you seen her?" Antonin Dolohov joined the conversation. "Evans might be a mudblood, but she's cracking. But you'd have to be a bit barmey not to have noticed Artemis either… and she's a pureblood, Sev. Stick with her. I doubt this Lord Voldemort would seriously consider you if you were messing around with a mudblood."

"Probably not," said Severus slowly. Inside he was screaming at Dolohov, _don't call her that you miserable git! _

But the reality was there, and it hurt: he loved Lily Evans, but she didn't love him. Maybe Artemis could make him forget…

- - -

_First, thanks to everyone who has read my story so far, and a special "thanks" to those of you who left reviews. Some of you are familiar names, but I seem to have some new readers as well… hooray!_

_This chapter was a bit on the short side, I know. But I wanted to make sure I got the Death Eater aspect in here fairly early on so it didn't appear that Sev's involvement was a snap decision on his part. In the next chapter, we'll get back to him and Artemis, I promise._

_Constructive feedback is always welcome – please let me know what you think!_


	3. Chapter 3: The Quidditch Ball

**A/N: **For all disclaimers, please see Chapter 1

**Chapter 3: The Quidditch Ball**

Since the year Severus started school at Hogwart's, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff had each won one House Cup, and now with Slytherin's victory this year, they were tied with Gryffindor at two wins each. Next year's competition would – everyone in his year knew – be particularly intense as each House would be close to obsessed with breaking the tie in their favor. Next year, however, was a long time away and tonight was the long-awaited Quidditch Ball, one of the most anticipated social venues of the school year.

Severus was waiting in the common room for Artemis. He fussed a bit with his dress robe. He didn't always care for his everyday robes as well as he should – a topic which had been a source of amusement for Potter and his motley crew – but Severus had always felt that his time was better put towards his studies rather than worrying about whether or not his school robes were wrinkled. Tonight, however, he'd taken extra care to make sure his dress robes were clean and pressed.

"Sev! I'm sorry I'm late," said Artemis as she came down the stairs. "Typical bird, right?" She laughed.

Severus' eyes got wider. Artemis' dress was made of dark green silk. It clung to her figure all the way down to her hips and then the skirt fell in asymmetrical layers to the floor. A long strip of material to use as a shawl was draped over her arms at the elbow. Thin straps went over her shoulders and the front of the dress dipped into a v-shape that revealed just enough of her breasts to make a young man stare.

And stare he did.

"It was worth the wait," he said, and he sincerely meant it.

"Thank you. I couldn't quite get my hair the way I wanted…" She reached up and touched the band that held her hair back from her face. Severus looked closer and realized it had a subtle snake skin pattern embossed on it.

"You look beautiful." _Beautiful? She's perfect!_ "Everyone will be jealous of me tonight." He crooked his elbow so she could take his arm.

"No, quite the opposite. With you looking so dapper, I think all the girls will finally see what they've been missing."

_If only that were true, _thought Severus as Lily's green eyes appeared in his mind. _There will be at least one girl who won't notice._ Artemis noticed the sudden frown on his face, but she didn't ask, and a moment later, it was gone.

The Great Hall was fully outfitted for the party. Slytherin House had already enjoyed a day of having their house colors dominate the room during meal times, so tonight each House had a large banner hanging from the walls. The illuminating candles that floated in the air all seemed to have some extra sparkle. There were tables laden with food and drink, and music from all the most popular wizarding bands rang through the room. By the time Severus and Artemis arrived, the dance floor was already packed.

They almost immediately found Malfoy and several of the others all crowded around a table hoisting butterbeer. As to be expected Lucius cut a dashing figure and Narcissa looked just as impressive in her strapless gown.

"Sev! Good to see you," said Lucius. "You're looking smashing, Artemis."

Artemis inclined her head, acknowledging his comment. She'd always found Lucius to be a bit full of himself, but still, to have the most popular boy in Slytherin praise her looks? She wasn't going to turn that away. The group talked and laughed, celebrating the Quidditch victory and commenting on who had played well, and who had been terrible.

The music moved deftly from a throbbing tempo to something smoother, more romantic. Lucius excused himself and guided Narcissa out onto the dance floor. Several of the others followed, including Dolohov with his date, Bella Lestrange. Artemis looked at Severus but didn't say anything as she waited. Severus took a gulp of his butterbeer; he knew Artemis wanted to dance.

"Dance with me?" He held out his hand.

"I'd love to." Artemis took his hand with a smile and they moved onto the floor. She faced him, and put her hands on his shoulders. Severus started with his hands on her waist, making sure he was close, but not too close. A few moments later, Artemis changed that. She slid her arms further up, so that she fully encircled his neck. Feeling Artemis' body pressed against his made Severus feel extremely warm. He moved his hands as well, wrapping them around Artemis so that his palms rested on her back. The material of her dress slipped along beneath his fingers.

They didn't speak, but it wasn't awkward as one might expect. As they swayed to the music, Severus glanced up. Along the wall were many other Hogwart's students – boys and girls – all looking longingly at the dance floor, wishing that they were out there with someone. He'd been on that wall many, many times before watching Lily Evans dance with other boys…

Artemis shifted, drawing her head back far enough to look up at him. "Are you having fun tonight, Sev?" Her question and her warm brown eyes banished thoughts of Lily from his mind for the moment.

"I am. Are you?"

"Very much. I…" She paused and her cheeks colored. "I like dancing with you." She lowered her head again so that their cheeks were touching, and he couldn't see the blush increase. He moved his hands up and down her back and she responded by letting her fingers wander along the back of his neck.

After the second slow song finished, they returned to the cluster of tables that Slytherin House had commandeered. Severus went and got them both a butterbeer and while Artemis chatted with Raven and Clarissa, Severus scanned the crowd. Soon, Raven and Clarissa disappeared with their dates, and as she took a sip of the butterbeer Severus had brought her, Artemis noticed that he had stopped looking around the room and that his eyes were settled on where Lily Evans was sitting – laughing – with James Potter. Severus had an odd expression on his face.

"Do you like her?" Artemis asked.

"What? Who? Oh!" Severus realized that Artemis had caught him staring. He considered lying for a moment, but then elected to only spin the truth a little. "Sort of. Before we came to Hogwart's, Evans lived near me. I'm the one who first told her that she was a witch and that she'd be coming here to go to school. Now that we're in different Houses, we're not so much friends anymore."

He didn't mention the "mudblood" incident; he didn't have to, Artemis had been there that day. She'd seen what happened. "I just hate to see her hanging out with a prat like Potter. He's no good for her."

Artemis nodded and accepted his answer. She took another sip of her butterbeer, but the next time Artemis looked over at Lily Evans, her expression was frostier than it had been before.

-- --

_Thus the romance begins. As much as I hate to admit it, it has been a while since I went through the "joy" of being a sixteen-year-old embarking on a romance. So, hopefully, I'm spinning a believable start for Severus and Artemis. _

_As an aside, a couple of you have pointed out that it appears Regulus in the JKR books is actually younger than Sirius. My mistake on that one. He's really a very minor character in this story and may not even appear again except to be mentioned by name, so I'm not going to spin up a whole backstory on why he's out of school before his brother. Hope y'all don't mind..._

_As always, thank you to all of my readers and reviewers. I'm looking forward to your feedback on this chapter!_


	4. Chapter 4: Mars Rising

**A/N: **For all disclaimers, please see Chapter 1.

**Chapter 4: Mars Rising**

Artemis and Severus danced several more times. Each time it became less intimidating and more natural. They found themselves laughing and joking with each other and all of their friends from Slytherin. As everyone had anticipated, the entire dance was a rollicking good affair.

"Well, it seems Bella is making short work of your friend Antonin," said Artemis. She nodded her head to the side and Severus followed with his eyes. In a corner, partially – but not completely – hidden from everyone, Dolohov and Bellatrix Lestrange were completely engrossed in snogging, not really caring who saw them.

"It won't last much longer," said Severus. "Here comes Professor McGonagall." Sure enough, walking straight across the floor, her back ramrod straight, Minerva McGonagall was headed straight for them. Bella looked up just in time and managed to smooth her hair and her dress as the professor swooped in. She shooed them out of the corner, and a few minutes after that, Bella practically dragged Dolohov from the hall.

Artemis noticed that a few others had disappeared, too. Lucius and Narcissa were nowhere to be seen, and her friend Clarissa had also vanished from the Great Hall along with her date. Severus noticed the same thing and glanced covertly across the room. What he saw was James Potter staring – no, glaring – at him. Severus was startled for a moment, but broke eye contact with James when he heard Artemis' voice.

"It feels crowded in here all of a sudden. Can we go outside?" Artemis, who was looking towards the door, shifted restlessly.

"If you'd like." Severus put his hand on her back and escorted her to the door. Outside, Artemis turned towards the path that would meander down towards the lake. Severus didn't object and they walked down the path; the clear night and exceptionally bright moon made the worn path on the grass easy to see. He reached out and took Artemis' hand and she smiled.

Artemis stopped and looked out towards the lake. "It's pretty out here at night. You know, sometimes on a really clear night, I'll sneak out here to look at the stars. But the view is much better up on the Astronomy Tower…"

"Then let's go." His comment was sudden, impulsive, and unexpected, and her surprise showed on her face.

"Go?" She knew where, but she wanted to hear him say it. It would be to embarrassing to be wrong.

"To the Astronomy Tower." Severus' grin had a calculating edge to it that Artemis liked. "Come on…" He tugged at her hand.

Her voice was coy and she looked at him from under her lashes. "We'll get in trouble if we're caught. It is against school rules to be up there at night."

"Then we just have to make sure we don't get caught," he answered. He didn't know if it was the clear night or the full moon or if he was just feeling a little heady from the dance, but he was feeling exceptionally bold. The mischievous grin on Severus' face started to widen.

The temptation of breaking a few rules – and of being alone with Severus – was too much for Artemis to resist. "Well, let's go then!"

They hurried across the lawn, sticking to the shadows, but Artemis was hampered by her dress and heels. It probably would have been easier to simply cast a spell, but succeeding without using magic made their adventure riskier, and therefore more appealing. More than once Artemis started to dissolve into giggles as she stumbled, only to be hushed by Severus. But each time he turned towards her, Artemis could see his face in the moonlight and realized he was laughing just as hard as she was. It wasn't a face he showed often – more often than not he was very serious – and she liked seeing it.

She stumbled once more, losing one of her shoes as she did, but she didn't stop. "My shoe!" Artemis whispered sharply as she tried not to laugh.

As they ran on, Severus turned and pulled out his wand. "_Accio shoe!_" he called and Artemis' shoe flew back to them. As he caught that one, she pulled off the other. It was easier to carry the shoes than to run in them.

The door to the Tower was locked so Artemis drew out her oak and phoenix wand. For a brief moment, Severus wondered where she'd hidden it all night; he'd never noticed that she was carrying her wand. The thought lasted only a moment. In the long run, he realized, it was a mystery he didn't care to pursue right then and there.

"_Alohomora,"_ she whispered. There was a spark and a click that sounded extremely loud in the night. The door swung inward slightly. Severus pushed it further and then closed it tightly once Artemis had slipped inside.

"_Lumos minorae_," said Severus. A small point of light appeared at the very tip of his wand. It was just enough to see the stairs, but they still had to go slowly. Severus took Artemis' hand to make sure she didn't stumble on any of the steps.

The door at the top was open, and they walked out onto the expanse of the tower with more confidence. The view of the sky was impressive and the stars stood out in sharp contrast to the clear black sky despite the silver glow of the moon. There was just the slightest breeze and it ruffled the layers of Artemis' dress softly. Artemis put her hands on the edge of the wall and looked up.

"You can see Mars tonight," she said. "See there? That red spot? Mars is one of my favorites."

Severus came up next to her, and put his hand on Artemis' lower back. She didn't move away. The fates seemed to have finally smiled on him: he was alone with a very pretty girl on top of the astronomy tower where it was highly unlikely they were going to be disturbed. Severus began to feel very warm. A moment later he moved his hand up, sliding his palm along the crisp silk until it rested on the skin of her shoulder. It was cool under his palm.

"Are you warm enough, Artemis?"

She turned towards him. "I'm fine; thank you." She put her hands on his waist and they stayed that way for a few long minutes, neither wanting to retreat but neither confident enough to move forward. Severus inhaled; the breeze had brought the faintest trace of Artemis' perfume to him. It was subtle, spicy. He remembered her saying it had been a gift from her aunt.

Artemis was looking up at him, her dark eyes framed by even darker lashes. If he didn't kiss her now, he was never going to forgive himself. He bent his head down and his unruly hair began to fall in his face. For a moment he hesitated and then he felt the brush of Artemis' lips against his. They both drew back briefly.

"Kiss me again," said Artemis. Severus' breath came out in a little bit of a rush. This time, he didn't hesitate and neither did Artemis. Her arms slid further around his waist and as they did, his arm tightened around her shoulder.

An hour later, they knew that they'd pushed their luck as far as they could, and it would take some doing to get back into Slytherin House without being caught. Severus' realized how disheveled his robe was, and Artemis pulled one of the straps of her dress back up onto her shoulder, the skin still tingling where Severus had kissed it. Her shawl was draped on the edge of the wall and her hair band had fallen to the ground. Quickly, she ran her fingers through her hair, trying to smooth it out.

She looked up at the moon. "It is really late," she said. "Really late."

"I guess we… lost track of time," he answered. "We'd better go."

Neither wanted to tempt fate any further. As they left the Astronomy tower, Artemis used a small concealing spell to keep them hidden. Inside the school, they stopped for a moment, clinging to each other, as Peeves glided through the hall. When they finally reached the portrait that would finish their sojourn through the dark, Severus gave the password and they were admitted without hassle.

"I had a really great time tonight," said Severus. He leaned in and gave Artemis a brief kiss as they stood in the common room. "Good night."

"Good night, Sev. I had a great time, too."

Severus had almost reached the stairs that would bring him up to his room when he heard Artemis whisper, "Sev, wait!" He turned and was pleasantly surprised as Artemis threw her arms around his neck and kissed him – ardently – one last time. "See you tomorrow," she said as she pulled away.

Severus stood, still tasting her on his lips, and watched Artemis hurry up the stairs and disappear.

-- -- --

_I hope you all enjoyed this chapter now that we're knee deep in Artemis and Sev's budding romance. Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read my chapters, and to those of you who have commented and reviewed them. I appreciate the feedback. I'm out of town on vacation for the next few days, so I'm not entirely certain when I'll be able to post next… but I promise it won't be TOO long._


	5. Chapter 5: The Start of Something

**Chapter 5: The Start of Something**

After he went to bed, Severus stayed awake for a long time. He'd really liked being with Artemis. She'd made him feel important and wanted, feelings he hadn't often had growing up. His parents had a difficult relationship at best, and when they argued, he usually felt like they forgot he existed entirely. And Lily certainly didn't act like he existed any more, unless it was to skewer him with a disdainful, laser-intense stare.

He turned in the bed and looked over at Travers. Sound asleep, Travers' mouth was open and his face partially stuffed into his pillow. His arm dangled over the edge of his bed. Severus remembered Travers question, and the implication that he was interested in going out with Artemis. He frowned. Artemis wasn't going to stay single forever. _Don't be a coward, _Severus thought to himself. He was still thinking about Artemis when sleep finally closed his eyes.

The sun rose an obscenely short time later, and Severus groaned and cursed as Avery and Travers practically dragged him from the bed. He stumbled down to breakfast with his mates, but didn't see Artemis. Tales of high adventure and romantic escapades coursed back and forth across the table. Next to him, Dolohov looked around to make sure no professors were lurking over his shoulder. He pulled the collar of his robes down, exposing red scratch marks.

Lucius laughed. "I told you Bellatrix was more than you could handle, Antonin. Maybe next time you'll listen."

"Maybe he liked it," laughed Severus. Dolohov punched him in the shoulder but didn't deny it.

"Speaking of liking it," said Lucius. "I heard you disappeared with Miss Ollivander last night for quite a while…?"

Severus shrugged, but he couldn't help the smile that crept over his face, and that just made Lucius laugh harder. After he left breakfast, Severus went outside. A few minutes later he saw Artemis out on the lawn. She saw him as well and waved.

"Hi." Artemis closed her book and stuck it into her bag. "Thank you again, Sev. I really had a fun time last night." The faint blush that suffused her cheeks told Severus that she was thinking of their time up on the Tower.

"Me, too." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously in the silence that followed. Finally he said, "Artemis, I, um, I was wondering if you might… that is… well, if you'd go out with me."

He sighed. That hadn't come out the way he wanted. He'd wanted to be so much calmer and cooler, not stumbling over his words.

It didn't, however, seem to matter to Artemis because an enormous smile lit her face. She'd fancied Severus Snape for quite some time, and after last night, she'd been hoping he would ask her out. "Go out with you? Do you mean on another date… or do you mean 'go out' go out?"

His pale cheeks colored for a brief moment. "I meant 'go out' go out, Artemis. I want to tell everyone that you're my girlfriend."

Her smile got bigger. "I'd like that. I'd like that very much. Maybe we could meet for dinner tonight? I promised Clarissa and Raven that I'd study with them in the library this morning, and I have an essay to complete for Professor Sprout, but…" She hesitated, wondering if she should study with Severus instead of her friends.

"Dinner, then," he said, nodding, still a tad skittish; he hadn't thought she would accept. "I have a couple essay parchments due, too. And if I wait to start them until tomorrow, I won't finish."

A little too self-conscious to kiss Severus in broad daylight, Artemis reached out and squeezed his hand. "I'll be at dinner by about 5:00," she said and waved as she walked away to meet her friends.

Artemis hurried to the library, unable to stop from grinning like the proverbial fool, and as she found her friends, they both knew something was up. Raven folded her hands in front of her and looked expectantly at Artemis as she sat down. Pulling out her books, Artemis said nothing. Clarissa shook her head.

"Well?" hissed Raven. "What are you all smiles about?"

Artemis shrugged but couldn't keep the girlish giggle inside. That unexpected noise brought the librarian, the elderly Mrs. Tomish, swooping down on them. "There will be no giggling in the library!" she scolded them.

"Yes, m'am," said Artemis. "Sorry, m'am."

Mrs. Tomish vanished around a corner and after she disappeared, Artemis sat back in her seat. "Isn't she due to retire?" she whispered.

"I didn't think the undead needed to retire," Clarissa said softly.

"Forget Tomish." Raven's whisper was low and firm. "What's going on?"

"Shhhh." Artemis hushed them as Tomish appeared around the corner. All three girls were studiously reading and writing when she walked by, and Mrs. Tomish gave them a glare to reinforce her Rule of Silence. They waited a few minutes after she vanished into the stacks again. Once she did, Artemis didn't torment her friends any longer.

"Severus asked me out," she whispered as the smile reappeared. Raven clapped her hands over her mouth to keep from squealing and Clarissa gasped.

"Really? When?" asked Clarissa.

"Just before I came here," Artemis answered.

"Good thing he did," whispered Raven. "I mean, you got in awfully bloody late last night…"

All three of them giggled in a brief shrieking outburst and then deliberately immersed themselves into their books as Tomish flew around the corner. She looked at the three girls, trying desperately to determine who was making the noise.

Clarissa rounded her eyes, looked up at the librarian, and blinked innocently. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Tomish," she said, "can we help you with something?"

"No," Tomish said sourly, quite put-out that she hadn't caught them breaking the rules. But rather than leave, she started to sort through some of the books on a shelf close to the three girls. Artemis rolled her eyes and nodded her head at her book. It appeared they were going to study whether they wanted to or not.

The day dragged on, a shackle around Severus' ankle. He was restless and distracted, and several times found himself daydreaming. His thoughts ranged from the top of the Astronomy Tower to his virtual amazement that Artemis agreed to go out with him. He finally forced himself – with great effort – to focus on his essay parchment and barely finished it before supper arrived. He hurried to the Great Hall and sat down with some of his Slytherin friends. Artemis wasn't there yet, but Severus knew he was a little early.

It wasn't long after that before Artemis came in along with Raven and Clarissa. No one really paid any attention when Artemis sat next to Severus to eat. It was unusually crowded in the Great Hall and there happened to be a free seat next to him. Under the table, Artemis moved her leg sideways until it pressed against Severus'. He smiled and glanced to the side.

Later on, after dinner, some students went off to study or to practice Quidditch. Others went back to their common rooms to socialize, having – in their expert opinion – done more than enough studying for the day. Artemis was lounging on one of the sofas when Severus down from the boys' rooms. She moved over slightly after she caught his eye. He made his way carefully through some of the other students, ignoring several open seats.

Lucius watched him, wondering, and raised an eyebrow slightly as Severus sat down next to Artemis and then put his arm around her shoulder. That move also drew the attention of Avery and Travers as well.

"Something we should know about Sev?" he asked casually. As if in answer, Artemis leaned into Severus a little.

"Sev asked me out," she said simply. She met Lucius' inquiring gaze and didn't look away.

"Well, bully for you, Severus." Lucius nodded approvingly. Artemis came from a good family; she was a good choice for Severus. Hopefully this would keep him from mooning over that bloody mudblood, Evans.

"When were you going to mention this to us, Severus?" asked Avery as he gave his friend an approving stare.

"This is the first time I've seen you," answered Severus. "I hadn't had the chance yet."

Travers watched quietly. If he was honest, he was a little jealous. He'd been annoyed when he found out that Severus was going to the dance with Artemis. He'd been thinking of asking her out himself, but now it seemed, Severus had beaten him to the punch. _That's what I get for waiting,_ he thought. _But I did have a good time with Clarissa…_

While Severus, Artemis and the others talked and laughed in the common room, the door opened Raven came in, closely followed by one of her housemates, Neela. When she saw how closely Artemis and Severus were sitting, Neela hesitated and frowned.

"Severus is Artemis' boyfriend now." Raven was a bit more smug than she should have been, relishing the opportunity to dig at Neela, whom she didn't particularly like.

"Really?" said Neela. She tried to keep her voice neutral, but Raven heard the tightness.

"I think they make a great couple." Raven smiled sweetly. "Perfect, in fact." She turned and flounced away.

Neela looked back at Severus and Artemis and narrowed her eyes. "We'll see about that," she muttered under her breath.

-- -- -- -- -- -- --

_Hi! Sorry that it took so long to get this next chapter up. Between work, some other stuff, and some laptop issues, I just ran flat out of time. Oh, and Al, if you read this, sorry for the librarian stereotype..._


	6. Chapter 6: A Troubling Conversation

**Chapter 6: A Troubling Conversation**

Summer was a mere breath away and the grounds at Hogwart's closely resembled a honey bee hive as students studied and fretted and studied some more for their final exams. Lucius Malfoy was in his final year at Hogwart's, and he was looking forward to finally being out of school and able to make a name for himself. Not that he hadn't already started to do that - He was also making significant progress making a name for himself within the Death Eaters. Lord Voldemort had praised Lucius' efforts to bring like-minded purebloods into the fold.

And to top it all off, Lucius was in love – really in love – for the first time. Narcissa was beautiful, smart, and came from a family of impeccable lineage. He completely expected that in a few years she would become Mrs. Lucius Malfoy.

With the impending end of his career at Hogwart's looming only a few days in the future, Lucius was lounging in the Slytherin common room with his feet up. Severus came in and threw a few books into one of the chairs before dropping his lanky form into the one next to it.

"How was the Potions exam?" asked Lucius.

"Bloody tough…" said Severus, "but I aced it. I know I did."

That didn't surprise Lucius at all. Severus was a promising young wizard with some exceptional ability in both potions and charms, and a flair for the Dark Arts.

"You know Sev," said Lucius after a moment or two of thought, "I think Lord Voldemort would be quite interested in meeting you. You're a very talented wizard. Our organization could use someone like you."

"I'm flattered," said Severus, "but I'm sure there are plenty of other wizards who have more experience than I do that are far more interesting to him."

"Not necessarily. You're almost 17, Sev; once you turn you can do what you like. I've found that several of the older wizards that are interested in the Death Eaters are too set in their ways. They're a bit narrow-minded and don't see the big picture of what he envisions for our world, and our role in it. Younger blood brings more passion to the cause."

"I have to admit," some of what you said is appealing." Severus thought about the conversations he'd had recently with Lucius and Dolph and some of the others. Pure bloods in positions of power… those favored by Lord Voldemort being rewarded with wealth and more…

_Power and influence,_ thought Severus. _That's what I want, what I need. With a benefactor as strong as this Lord Voldemort, I could get the things I really want… Like that bastard Potter finally getting his comeuppance…_

"It would be like a brotherhood," said Lucius passionately, interrupting Severus' train of thought. "We're all strong individually, but organized and together? There's nothing we couldn't do. No one who could stop us… and anyone who tried? We could crush them."

"Crush them? Who are we crushing?" Artemis sat down next to Severus. She'd only heard the last little bit of what Lucius had been saying when she came downstairs.

"I was talking to Severus about joining the Death Eaters," said Malfoy. "You should think about it, Artemis. Bellatrix wants to join, but she's still a bit young. Lord Voldemort could use your talents, too…"

She shrugged noncommittally. "I don't know, Lucius. I don't always play well with the other children, you know. More of a loner."

"Well, just think about it," he said. "I'm sure you'll see that it makes a lot more sense to be with us and not against us." He winked at her as he got up. "I'll see you both later."

For a few minutes, Severus and Artemis talked about their exams. Severus told her as much as he could about the potions exam and she did the same about charms. Finally, interested in what she thought of the Death Eaters, Severus brought the conversation full circle. "Lucius is going to take me to meet him," said Severus. "I think I'll join if I can. Why don't you come with me?"

"I'm not interested," said Artemis firmly. She shook her head.

"But why not?" Severus didn't completely understand the finality in her tone. Artemis looked at him like he was daft.

"He styles himself 'Lord' Voldemort? All that says to me is he's selfish with power and everyone else will be beneath him." She squared her jaw a little as if she was getting ready for a fight. "I don't bow and scrape to anyone."

He'd seen that expression on her face a few times before and it always turned into a forceful – and loud – argument when Artemis got pushed. They'd had a few fights since they started going out, but this wasn't the time and the place to argue about the Death Eaters. "Okay, okay," he said calmly, "let's not talk about them anymore. Let's talk about Hogsmeade and then we can finish studying for our DADA exam."

Artemis smiled. Hogsmeade. Now that was a topic she was interested in. One more day of exams and then all of the students had one final day to visit to the town just outside of Hogwart's before heading home for the summer.

"I can't wait to go into Hogsmeade," said Artemis. "I definitely want to go to Honeydukes, and… Oh, bloody hell…"

"What?" Surprised, Severus sat up straighter.

"Oh, I forgot to bring one of my DADA books downstairs," she grumbled. "I'll be right back." Artemis jumped up from her seat and dashed up the stairs. But when she came back down, Artemis stopped dead in her tracks. Neela Nelson was sitting on the sofa next to Severus – far too close to Severus as far as Artemis was concerned.

Neela leaned in close to him, laughing a little too hard at something Severus had said, and put her hand up on his shoulder. Artemis frowned; this foolishness needed to stop immediately.

"Oh, Sev," Neela cooed. "You're so witty. I think it would be fun if we…"

"You're in my seat, Neela," interrupted Artemis. Severus remained silent as he glanced from one to the other. Artemis looked bloody pissed, Neela looked smug, and Severus realized that sitting between them was actually a very dangerous place to be.

"Oh. Your seat? Really?" Neela gave her a bland smile that almost dared Artemis to prove it and Artemis' eyebrows started to arch higher.

"Yes. My seat."

"Well, I'm terribly sorry then." Neela turned back to Severus and put her hand on his leg. "I'll talk to you later, Sev. Maybe we can do something at Hogsmeade…" She left the end of the statement open and then gave his leg a squeeze before she got up. Watching her, Artemis' expression went from pissed directly to furious in less than a second. She stared at Neela until her unexpected rival disappeared up the stairs.

"Don't go and kill her," Severus joked. "Believe me, Artemis, she's not my type." He reached for Artemis hand and pulled her down to the sofa. It took them another 20 minutes to finally decide to study anything other than each other.

That night, Artemis walked to Neela's room, shoved the door open without knocking and walked right in. Neela's friend, Alicia, tried to stop her but one cold stare from Artemis cleared Alicia out of the way without a word.

"Stay away from him, Neela."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Artemis. I was just being nice." Neela ran a brush through her long black hair and looked at Artemis' reflection in her mirror. Artemis' hands were on her hips, her eyes narrow, and her lips press into a thin line. Severus was her boyfriend and she wasn't going to just sit around while some barmy bint threw herself at him.

"I won't warn you again. Stay away from him."

-- -- --

As promised, another chapter without the long wait. Hope you're all still enjoying the story. I'll post again soon… as always, I appreciate you taking the time to read this, and I'd love to hear what you think!


	7. Chapter 7: Hogsmeade

**Chapter 7: Hogsmeade**

A light, merry laugh carried through the warm air and Severus cocked his head slightly. Near him, Artemis glanced from him to the source of the laugh: Lily Evans. Severus' hands curled into fists when he realized that Lily was with James Potter. Not only was she with him, they were holding hands. He almost choked. How could she spend time with that arrogant prat?

Artemis frowned. She'd always known that Severus had a thing for Lily, even though Severus thought he kept it well hidden. And, although she knew that Lily would never forgive Severus for the "mudblood incident," Artemis didn't like the fact that he obviously still felt something for her, and all she really wanted to do was claw Lily's green eyes out simply for spite. Artemis was, however, also smart enough to realize that Severus would never forgive her if she was vile to Lily. So Artemis smiled and endured.

_He'll forget her eventually,_ she thought. _Lily will never forgive him for calling her a mudblood, and she's starting to fall for Potter anyway, even if she won't admit it. She'll be out of my hair soon enough._

James was so enthused that Lily was focused on him, that he didn't notice that Severus and Artemis were even there. And even if he had noticed, James had no intention of jeopardizing the fact that Lily was growing fond of him. Severus didn't want to say on the street and watch any more interaction between Lily and James. He glanced at Artemis, who was looking down the street towards Zonko's Joke Shop. A large group of students were – as always – crowding into the new store.

"I'll be right back," Severus told her. "Stay here."

Artemis asked the question with her eyes, but his smile reassured her. "It's a surprise," he said. "Just stay here for a minute."

"Okay," she laughed. "I'll play along." Artemis deliberately turned so she couldn't see where Severus was going. He stepped away and then looked back over his shoulder to make sure she wasn't looking. Then he dashed into Honeydukes.

Inside, the long glass counter was filled to overflowing with candies of all shapes and colors. Jars in the windows were packed with other delectable treats. There were sour balls and Bertie Bott's Any Flavor Beans, Chocolate Frogs and Wild Licorice Bites (the kind that really did bite)… But Severus was looking for something special. One night, Artemis had told him a story about how her father always bought her a bag of sugared raspberry candies when they went on holiday; they were her favorite.

The witch behind the counter smiled at him. "What can I find for you, lad?"

"Sugared raspberries," he said. "One bag."

"Ah, a man with good taste," she said with a smile. She bustled down to one end of the counter. With a wave of her wand, dark red candies dusted with sugar crystals started to hop out of the bin and into the fancy Honeydukes bag that waited for them.

Outside, Sirius Black was restless and sulky. He was happy that James finally had a shot with Lily, but he was feeling left out. Usually, when they got the chance to go to Hogsmeade it meant that Padfoot, Prongs, Mooney, and Wormtail were free to roam around. Wormtail was stuck in a detention, and James was totally focused on Lily. Remus was doing his best to keep Sirius entertained but to no avail: Sirius was bored. Then Sirius noticed Artemis window shopping while she waited for Severus.

"Hey, Remus, look." Sirius pointed. "There's Snivellus' little tart…"

"Sirius, don't…" Remus sighed as Sirius headed across the street. _Nothing good will come out of this little adventure, _thought Remus.

Inside Honeydukes, Severus gave the clerk a few coins and took the bag. He smiled, hoping that Artemis would be surprised. He turned around and almost jumped. Right behind him was Neela.

"Those look good," she said.

"Hi, Neela…"

"Can I try one?" She fluttered her eyelashes at him.

"Try one?"

"One of the candies," she said. "They look yummy."

"Um, I bought them for Artemis…" Severus felt caught; Neela had completely caught him off guard.

"Please?" said Neela. "She won't miss one candy, will she?" She smiled brightly at Severus, and tossed her hair ever so slightly. He really didn't want to give her any of the candy, but to say no seemed awfully petty, and he could just hear the stories Neela would spin if he didn't.

Figuring it was the lesser of two evils, Severus said, "Well, I suppose one wouldn't hurt." As he gave her a candy, Severus looked over Neela's shoulder and out the window. He frowned. It looked like Artemis was arguing with Sirius Black.

Neela didn't know what Severus was looking at, so she touched his arm to bring his attention back to her. "Those are really good. You know, I was wondering if maybe we could get together over the summer…"

"You wanted… we what?" Severus wasn't really listening to her. It looked like the argument outside was getting more intense. _What the bloody hell is going on out there, _he wondered as he realized a small group had gathered, including Lily, Remus Lupin, and Potter.

"Well, you're really good at Defense Against Dark Arts, and I thought we could get a head-start on classes for next year…"

"Yea, sure, whatever," said Severus as he pushed past Neela. He rushed outside, just in time to see Artemis turning away from Sirius.

"Aw, not so tough are you, Artemis? Toddle home to Mummy then." Sirius' voice oozed with snide sarcasm. Artemis froze in her tracks and her spine visibly stiffened. She turned slowly, a film of tears over her eyes. No one said a word. In fact, they were all rather stunned. Sirius had accomplished something that no one at Hogwart's had ever done before: making Artemis Ollivander cry.

"Run home to Mummy?" Artemis voice was terribly soft. "My mother is dead, Sirius."

Sirius' triumphant smile disintegrated.

In an instant Severus was next to her with his arm around her shoulder. "You are such a bastard!" he snarled at Sirius. "How dare you…"

Severus, however, didn't have the chance to continue as Lily tore into Sirius. "You absolute toerag!" she shouted, shoving Sirius so hard in the back that he stumbled forward. "You always talk about how everyone in Slytherin is so nasty, and then you go and say something like THIS?" She turned and glared at James. "Very nice friends you have, James. Very nice." She shook her head in disgust and stormed away.

As upset as he was with Sirius, Severus' heart soared as it did every time Lily saw a glimpse of what an ass James Potter was.

"Bloody hell, Sirius, what were you thinking?" James was completely pissed off. He glanced over at Severus and Artemis and started to open his mouth, his desire to take his frustration out on someone overriding his good sense. Remus stepped into his line of sight.

"Don't do it, mate. Sirius stepped in it this time. Anything you do right now will just get Lily more riled up, unless you go talk to her. Come on…" He put one hand on Sirius' shoulder and one on James'. As they started to walk away, Sirius stopped. He really did feel badly. He didn't like what Slytherin stood for, but Artemis really had never done anything to him. She hadn't deserved his snide comments.

"Artemis," he called. "I… I'm sorry…"

"Whatever," said Artemis coldly. She allowed Severus to turn her away and didn't see the malevolent glare Severus shot towards Sirius. Keeping his arm around her shoulders, Severus and Artemis walked away from everyone.

"You never told me about your mother." Severus' voice was soft, and Artemis loved that. He put such a cold and often aggressive face out to the world for everyone to see that Artemis was grateful he would show her the real Severus.

"Well, it isn't something I like to bring up on a first date." Her smile was wan, thin like the attempted joke.

"Would you tell me what happened?"

She nodded. "But let's stop. I want something to drink." They went into The Hog's Head. The pub itself was a bit on the dodgy side, but they weren't the only students there. Severus spotted a small table where they could sit and he ordered two butterbeers.

After the drinks came, Artemis took a half-hearted sip and then began to talk. "We'd gone to the beach on holiday. Mum and I went to find shells in the rocks while Dad was talking to some friends of his. It was a nice day and the waves kept splashing up on the rocks. I remember how much I liked the spray. Then this big wave came up… I was closer to the sandy part of the beach because my mother didn't want me too close to the water while we were on the rocks."

Artemis stopped talking, her face drawn, and crossed her arms in front of her. Severus, who had moved his chair so that he was sitting next to Artemis, put his hand on her leg. "You don't have to say anything else," he said.

"No," answered Artemis with a slight sniffle. "I want you to know. The wave came in and knocked my Mum off her feet. She fell and I saw her hit her head on one of the rocks. She just went limp and fell into the tidal pool. I climbed down…" The tears were clearer in Artemis voice.

"I could move her in the water," she continued with another sob, 'but I was too little to pull her all the way out. I just kept telling her to wake up. Someone found us there, I don't know who. It was a man. I remember telling him where my father was. Then Dad was there with me… the rest is really a blur…" She sighed. "It was the rock that killed her. I used to ask my father if it was my fault."

Severus' heart was in his throat. He wasn't particularly close to his parents, but the thought of losing his mother gave him chills. "I'm really sorry, Artemis. That's a terrible thing to have happen…"

"It has been a long time," said Artemis with a soft shrug. "It doesn't make me as sad as it used to. Sirius just completely caught me off guard." She still looked sad.

"I got these for you…" Severus pulled the Honeydukes bag out from his pocket. He was going to wait until they got back to Hogwart's to give the candies to Artemis, but he hoped they might cheer her up now.

Artemis took the bag with a smile and then looked inside. Here face brightened immediately. "Sugared raspberries!"

"You said they were your favorite…"

She moved over, put her arms around Severus and gave him a kiss. "You remembered. You're so sweet."

Severus took Artemis' hand. "Come on," he said. "Let's start walking back. We can take our time…"

As they walked out of the Hog's Head, Severus hesitated for a moment. He looked around and then saw Neela across the street. She smiled and waved at him. Uncomfortable, he responded with an awkward nod of his head and then steered Artemis down the street. The last thing he needed was for Artemis to have it out with Neela right there in the middle of the road.


	8. Chapter 8: Dinner for Three

**Chapter 8: Dinner for Three**

Artemis sighed as the Hogwart's Express pulled into Platform 9 ¾. For once, she'd wanted the ride to go on longer because she knew that it would be weeks before she'd actually see Severus again. Outside, steam billowed up in oddly shaped clouds, obscuring the group of waiting parents. She squeezed Severus' hand.

"You are going to come see me this summer, aren't you?" asked Artemis. She hoped she didn't sound like she was whining, but she wasn't looking forward to a summer without Severus.

"I'll try, but it will depend on whether or not I can get away from my parents for a little bit," he said. "But you know once we get our book list for our final year, I'll have to come to Diagon Alley, and that means I can stop at your father's shop."

"I want you to come before then… at least once, for supper. I told my father that I'd met someone when I sent him an owl, but when I tell him that I have an official boyfriend, he's going to insist on meeting you."

Severus smiled, but inside he got chilled. Meet her father? That sounded so serious. And then he felt a little guilty because he really didn't want Artemis to meet his family. His parents were always fighting and his father was terribly stingy, so everything in their house was tattered and worn around the edges. He didn't think Artemis would really care but, truth be told, he was embarrassed by his family.

And because of that, as soon as they were on the train platform, Severus gave Artemis a kiss and promised to send her an owl right away. Then he disappeared into the steam, claiming he had to meet his parents at the far end of the platform. Artemis shook her head as he vanished, wishing he'd stayed long enough to meet her father. Then, a familiar form appeared not far from her.

"Dad!" she called as she waved.

"Artemis!" Mr. Ollivander wrapped his daughter in a big hug. "I swear every time you come back from Hogwart's you're taller and more grown up than ever before."

"Things like that happen you know," she said. "I'll be seventeen soon."

"Oh, don't remind me. Come on, I've made your favorite for supper." As they walked towards an area where they could safely Apparate to the Ollivander home, Artemis' father quizzed her extensively on her classes and how she thought she'd done on her exams.

The Ollivander home was spacious and well-furnished. The wand-making business had been good to Artemis' father. The kitchen held a large, polished oak table. There was seating for eight although many nights it was only Artemis and her father. On the stove, several pots bubbled and steamed while spoons danced independently. As promised, Artemis favorite meal – a beef stew that her Grandma Ollivander used to make – was almost ready.

"So, Dad," said Artemis over dinner. "I was wondering if we could have someone over for dinner sometime."

Ollivander sat back in his chair and looked at his daughter who coyly looked at her plate and then up through her lashes with an expression completely meant to melt her father's heart. He smiled. She didn't have to give him that look; he was going to say yes. "Would this be the mysterious young man you mentioned in your letters?"

"Yes," said a blushing Artemis. "His name is Severus. I really like him, Dad. I like him an awful lot. He asked me out this year; I have a boyfriend now."

"Well, he is certainly a lucky young man. Anyone who you fancied would be," said Ollivander. He wore a bright smile on his face, but inside, his heart lurched. A boyfriend? "Yes, of course he can come for dinner, but let's wait a little bit. I haven't seen you all year and I want to be a little selfish and have you all to myself for just a little while."

Summer weeks tumbled by with warm breezes and sunny days. Artemis and Severus exchanged owls several times, and finally, finally, Artemis' father told her to send an owl and invite Severus to dinner. The big day wasn't for two weeks and by the time it arrived, Artemis was ready to jump out of her skin. Since she still wasn't allowed to use magic outside of Hogwart's – not for a few more months anyway – Artemis augmented her father's cleaning spells with her own elbow grease. It was better than sitting around and waiting.

Mr. Ollivander came in the door with a frown on his face.

"Dad? What's wrong?" The last thing Artemis wanted tonight was her father in a bad mood.

"Nothing, sweetie," he said. "It was just a long day. There are some ruffians causing a bit of trouble. Call themselves 'Death Eaters.'" He didn't see Artemis stop short when he said the word, but she stayed silent and he said nothing more.

A few moments later, the doorbell rang. Outside, Severus fidgeted on the doorstep. It had taken him forever to get ready for dinner and – like the dance – he'd taken particular care to make sure his clothes were not worn out or torn. He didn't want Mr. Ollivander to think he was shabby. Conversation stayed on safe subjects to start, helping Severus relax a little.

"So," said Mr. Ollivander after the dinner had progressed, "are you looking forward to your final year at Hogwart's, Severus?"

"I am, sir. Very much."

"And what are your intentions towards my daughter?"

"My intentions…?" Severus managed to not choke on his water.

"FATHER!" Artemis was horrified.

Mr. Ollivander raised a hand. "Artemis, you're practically a grown up, and your relationships could have quite an effect on your future. I just want to make sure that any young man that you're with is going to appreciate you and treat you well." He looked pointedly at Severus who met his eyes and held them for a moment. "I just want to be absolutely clear about that."

Artemis was staring at her plate, her cheeks flaming, but Severus nodded to Mr. Ollivander, understanding what her father was saying. Satisfied, Mr. Ollivander put his napkin on the table.

"Why don't you two run along," he said. "I'll take care of the dishes since Artemis did all of the cooking. Plus, you've both probably had enough of a doting father with all of his prying questions…" He smiled at his daughter and she finally relented and smiled back.

"Let's go for a walk, Sev. There's a park down the street with a pond." They both got up from the table and headed out the door. Mr. Ollivander noticed that Artemis took Severus' hand just before the door closed.

He leaned back in his chair and sighed. "I blinked my eyes and she grew up. Where did the time go?"

---

_As always, it seems like it has been forever since my last post. Reviews are appreciated, and I hope you're enjoying the story still. Oh, anyone out there remember what Mr. Ollivander's first name is?_


	9. Chapter 9: A Spreading Shadow

**Chapter 9: A Spreading Shadow**

Severus and Artemis walked down the street towards the park. Severus put his arm around her shoulder, and Artemis slid her arm around his waist, hooking her thumb into a belt loop at his waist. They were dressed like ordinary Muggles and no one took much notice of them save for two little old ladies who smiled and whispered to each other about the two young love birds.

The park was an expansive affair, covering several acres. They walked hand in hand for a little bit, laughing and joking. Severus told Artemis a few stories he'd heard about the trouble Bellatrix Black was causing as she danced among her many boyfriends. That didn't surprise Artemis in the slightest. If nothing else, Bella had a flair for the dramatic.

They wandered down the meandering paths and after a few minutes, they veered off and found a sheltered area surrounded by enormous old oak trees. Artemis threw her arms around Severus' neck and kissed him, and he was not stingy with his response.

"I've missed seeing you," she laughed.

"Mmmmm." Severus' reply was muffled as he buried his face in Artemis' neck, kissing her lightly and making her giggle again. He tangled his fingers in her hair; Severus loved how he felt when he was with Artemis. Kissing her, feeling her skin against his... it tied him up in knots inside.

Voices nearby distracted Artemis and she pushed lightly on his shoulders. "Someone's coming," she said. "Let's walk more…"

"Who cares?" Severus offered her a rakish, devil-may-care smile.

"It sounds like they have little kids. Come on, let's walk more. We can go down by the pond." She kissed him once more, slow and lingering. "Please?"

"After that kiss, I'll rob any bank you want, just lead the way."

As they walked out of the grove of trees, a couple of Muggle families passed them. Two men, three women and an entire herd of children headed for the exact same grove Severus and Artemis were just in. The men both carried large picnic baskets. Artemis smiled; a picnic dinner in the park. It sounded like a wonderful idea.

"Another month and we'll be back at school," said Artemis as they walked. "I can't wait, and I can't believe it is our last year."

"I can't wait either," he said. "Staying at home is driving me crazy."

"Are your parent's fighting again?"

"When don't they fight?" Severus sighed.

Artemis felt badly. She knew that his parents' poor relationship weighed on Severus. Her life with just her father must be completely alien to him. "I'm sorry my father was such a pain at dinner," she said. "I can't believe he asked about your… intentions."

Severus shrugged. "I guess he's probably a typical father…"

"He gets like that sometimes," she said. "I think it is because my Mom's not around." Artemis could think of several times when her father had become overprotective. Each of them was when something major happened in her life: after her mother died, when she started at Hogwart's…

"Would make sense." Severus shrugged, showing that it really wasn't bothering him.

Artemis smiled. She knew her father would settle down soon enough. Between the boyfriend, turning 17, and her impending final year at Hogwart's, she knew he was probably just fretting. _He'll grow to adore Severus, I know he will,_ she thought.

"Let's stop," said Severus as he tugged at her hand. He stepped off the path and onto the thick grass. Sitting down, he leaned his back against a tree and put his arms around Artemis, who sat down in front of him, pressing her back against his chest. He pushed her hair aside and kissed her neck, eliciting yet another giggle from his girlfriend. The late summer sun was slowly going down over the pond, turning the water into a kaleidoscope of gold and silver flecks.

"Lucius took me to meet Lord Voldemort," he said. Artemis went very still in his arms and even with her back to him, Severus could tell she was frowning. A thin cloud drifted across the sun, covering it in a think grey film, and sending shadows creeping across the ground.

"I was impressed," he said, continuing before she could comment. "He's a very elegant man. Knows an amazing amount of magic; things we'd never even thought of. There is so much I can learn from him. He has a lot of followers – more than you might think, and I know he'll help me make a name for myself once school is done."

"My father's heard of the Death Eaters," Artemis said. "Called them troublemakers."

"Troublemakers? I don't know about that…" Severus let his voice trail away. He didn't mention that he and Lucius – at the encouragement of Voldemort – had roughed up some mudbloods after the meeting. Voldemort had been pleased and told Severus that there was definitely a place in the Death Eaters for a fine young man like him.

She turned in his arms. "It's your decision, Severus. If you want to be part of the Death Eaters, go ahead, but I don't want to talk about that any more. I think we have better ways to spend our time…"

Severus ran his hand up her shirt, allowing his fingers to trace Artemis' curves.

"Indeed we do," he answered.

-- -- --

_Well, another chapter (and yes, I know this one is a little short). I've actually been spending some time trying to write ahead in my story. I've got a whole bunch of chapters mostly done and I'm going to try to post a little more frequently. Hope you are all still enjoying it, and I'm looking forward to hearing what you think!_


	10. Chapter 10: A Summer Squall

**Chapter 10: A Summer Squall**

Two weeks after dinner at the Ollivander house, the list of required books for the new semester arrived for all Hogwart's students. Severus was eager to go shopping at Diagon Alley for several reasons. One was that he knew Artemis would be there as well. They had exchanged owls and decided on what day they were going to shop together. Another reason was that it would get him out of the house – and away from his bickering parents – for the day. But the other reason was that he had a little extra money to burn.

Most years, he'd barely had enough for his supplies and nothing more. This year was different. Over the summer, he'd helped Lucius with some recruiting and with some other "favors" for Lord Voldemort. The dark wizard had unexpectedly rewarded Severus, Lucius and a few others with pouches full of gold galleons. Severus was eager to spend some of his money. There were a few extra things he wanted for school, and he wanted to buy Artemis something special, too.

The bell on the door at Ollivander's wand shop rang as Severus walked in. It was fairly early, so the shop wasn't crowded. Given a few more hours and the customers would start to pour in – Ollivander was just about the best wand maker around.

"Good morning, Severus."

"Good morning, Mr. Ollivander. Is Artemis here?"

"She'll be back in a moment or two. I sent her to run an errand for me. It shouldn't take long. Feel free to look around."

Severus browsed around. He had a mild interest in the art of wand-making, and was always curious to see the blend of woods and cores that Ollivander created: oak and dragon sinew, cherry and phoenix feather, willow and unicorn hair… there was even a wand made of teak and centaur hair. Severus wondered how Ollivander had persuaded a centaur to donate a sample.

The bell rang again and Severus smiled as Dolph, Lucius, and Dolohov all came in. They were laughing and horsing around. He hadn't seen Dolph or Antonin all summer.

"Hey, mates!" said Severus.

"Sev!" said Lucius. "Good to see you. I've been asked to bring you to another meeting."

"Really? When?" Severus didn't need to ask who the meeting would be with.

"Probably not for a few months… after your birthday, I think. Don't worry about it. I'll let you know." As Lucius talked to Severus, Dolph and Dolohov browsed around the store and examined several of the wands. Ollivander came out from the back room.

"Ah, gentlemen. In the market for new wands?" He smiled at his customers.

"I am," said Dolohov. "My old one just seems worn out and since I'm taking some advanced courses this year, I want to make sure I have the right wand."

"Well, feel free to look around," said Ollivander, "and try a few out. Remember, the wand chooses you, not the other way around. In fact, I have a few in the back room that aren't out yet." He looked at Dolohov with an expert eye. "Yes, I think one of those might be a good match for you. I'll be right back."

When he came back out, Ollivander noticed Dolph, Lucius, and Severus all talking in low tones. Lucius had a sleeve rolled up and was showing something to the two of them.

"…Antonin has one too. Just got it last night. It is an unbelievable experience," said Lucius.

"Try this one," said Ollivander as he handed a wand to Dolohov. "It is birch with a dragon whisker core."

Dolohov took it in his hand and sparks flew out of the end of the wand as it literally thrummed in his hand. "This is incredible!" he said with a laugh.

"Then it seems we have a match." Ollivander smiled as Dolohov swished and flicked his new wand, watching the trail of sparkles as they twisted through the air. The smile faded, however, as Dolohov's sleeve slid up, revealing a mark on his forearm. It looked like a skull and serpent.

_That's what Julian said it would look like,_ thought Ollivander. _The "dark mark" of the Death Eaters is a skull and serpent image…_

Malfoy, who was looking over at that particular moment, saw the expression on Ollivander's face. "Antonin!" he barked. He jerked his head towards his arm when Dolohov looked over. Antonin immediately shook his sleeve down. Dolph and Lucius went up to the counter to stand next to Dolohov, leaving Severus near the window.

"Are you alright, Mr. Ollivander?" Malfoy's tone was thoughtful and solicitous, but the emotion didn't reach up to his eyes. "You look as if you've seen a ghost."

He'd seen no ghost, but Ollivander suddenly felt like a mouse before three young cobras. He felt cold inside. "No, no," said Ollivander. "I think my eyes were just playing tricks on me." With some effort he focused on Antonin Dolohov. "Will there be anything else today?"

"No." Dolohov handed over the galleons that he owed for the wand, and the three headed for the door.

"Catch you later, Sev," said Lucius.

"Yea, we'll see you at school," said Dolph.

"Slytherin's going to have a great Quidditch team this year. We'll trounce the other Houses!" said Dolohov.

After the door shut and the ring of the welcome bell faded away, there was a long, profound, and somewhat awkward span of silence. "Friends of yours?" asked Ollivander flatly.

"They are." Severus' answer came out more defensively than he intended.

"They're bad news, Severus," said Ollivander. "Ruffians and bullies the whole lot of them. I'm surprised you hang out with people like that."

"People like that? They're my friends… and they're Artemis' friends, too. We're all in Slytherin House together," said Severus a bit sharply.

Ollivander gave him a stern look and ignored the fact that his daughter might be friends with these young Death Eaters. "I saw the mark on that young man's arm! They're all part of this Death Eaters organization. Bad, bad news…" Ollivander paused. "Are you part of the Death Eaters, Severus? I don't want my daughter getting mixed up in something like that."

"Whether or not I am makes no difference," said Severus. It was none of Ollivander's business, as far as he was concerned.

"It makes all the difference in the world!" Ollivander was turning red in the face. "From what I've heard, they're not above blackmail, assault, deception, and even murder! And if you're a part of that, I will not tolerate you seeing my daughter!

Just as the last few sentences came out of his mouth, Artemis walked in the door. Her jaw dropped.

"You can't tell me or Artemis what to do," shouted Severus. "You don't control either of us."

"Get out of my shop!" roared Ollivander. "And stay away from my daughter!"

Severus spun towards the door, angry and embarrassed. Artemis grabbed him by the arm. "Severus!" she cried.

"I have to go." Severus' voice was sharp "I will see you at school, Artemis… I promise." He pushed past Artemis and threw a look at her father as he left the shop.

"Wait!" she cried. "We're going shopping…"

"You'll do nothing of the sort," said Ollivander sharply. "You'll help me with this inventory and then you'll go straight home. You and I will go shopping for your school things tomorrow. Artemis! Come back here!"

Ignoring her father, Artemis ran out the door and looked up and down the street, but Severus was nowhere to be seen. Reluctantly, she went back inside where she helped her father in utter silence before she left to go home. That night, Artemis was waiting for her father, and she was no longer content to fume and rage silently.

Ollivander hadn't event taken his cloak off when she started. "How could you? How could you treat him like that? I'm so embarrassed!"

"Don't you raise your voice at me, young lady," barked Ollivander. "I thought you had more sense. Getting involved with someone who agrees with the vile things that these… these… Death Eaters are spewing!"

"Just because he's investigating what they're saying doesn't mean Severus is a bad person!" Artemis' arms were folded over her chest and there were tears brimming.

"I won't have you throwing your life away over some low-rent bloke who needs a gang of thugs to help him feel important." Ollivander threw his cloak down on the chair forcefully. "He isn't worth it, and you deserve better."

"Low rent? _Low rent?_ You are such a snob, Father. I've liked Severus for as long as I can remember!" she shouted, ignoring his directive to not raise her voice. "He's the only boy I'll ever really care about… the only one I'll ever… LOVE!" She flew up the stairs and slammed the door to her room so hard that the china on the dining room shelves trembled.

Ollivander sat down hard in a chair. _Love him? Did she really say that?_ He stood up and poured himself a rather large glass of fire whiskey out of a decanter and took a deep breath. He stared up at the ceiling, knowing Artemis was up in her room, sobbing into a pillow. His daughter didn't cry often, but when she did, it came in volumes.

"Don't be in love with him, Artemis. Not with this Snape boy. Not with a Death Eater," whispered Ollivander. "Love anyone but him. Anyone. Just not him."

He downed the fire whiskey in one gulp.

-- -- --

_Hopefully your curiosity is piqued a little bit by the end here (if not, then I didn't do my job!). Thanks as always for checking out my story – if you read, please leave a review. I love hearing from readers and your feedback (good and constructive) is the only way I'll improve. So, if I'm doing something well, please tell me… and if there's something I could do better, please tell me that, too! _


	11. Chapter 11: In the Stars

**Chapter 11: In the Stars**

Ollivander slouched in his overstuffed recliner and stared into the fire. So far, he'd downed three glasses of fire whiskey, trying to figure out what to do with his daughter. He knew well enough that forbidding Artemis to see the Snape boy would only drive her into his arms. She'd inherited that trait directly from her mother; that's exactly what had happened between him and Annabeth.

Annabeth's mother had been extremely rude and condescending to Ollivander the first time Annabeth had brought him home. That very night, Annabeth had crept out her window to meet him for a date, and they had never looked back. It had actually taken Mother Spencer almost two years before she actually spoke to him civilly.

He reached over, considering another glass of fire whiskey, but changed his mind. Instead, he picked up a small packet of powder and tossed it into the fire. There was a multicolored flash and a low hum.

"Julian? I know it's late… are you there?"

"Ian? Bloody hell, man. What time is it?" The face of Julian Alexander, Ian Ollivander's best friend, appeared in the fire. His eyes were squinted. He ran a hand through his tangled hair and yawned.

"Almost midnight. I'm sorry I woke you. I needed to talk to someone." Ollivander's heavy sigh drew Julian out of his semi-slumber almost instantly.

"What's wrong, Ian?"

"Artemis. She's met a boy…"

Julian chuckled. "Well, you knew she'd eventually have some boys come chasing her…"

"This one is friends with some young Death Eaters. He might even be one himself." Ollivander frowned more deeply and Julian sputtered.

"How long has she…?"

"Long enough, Julian. Before she stormed upstairs tonight she told me he's the only one she'll ever love." There was an odd blend of fear and sorrow in Ian Ollivander's voice. Julian wasn't surprised. He'd been with Ian the day Ian's great-grandmother Ollivander passed away…

_Ian stared out the window. It was grey, gloomy, and even the fire on the hearth couldn't lift the pall from the day. In the next room, his great grandmother was dying. Earlier, some friends came to call and to say good-bye, but he was the only one of the family who was staying. That wasn't entirely surprising. Ian was her favorite, and in the later years of her life his great grandmother had become surlier and more demanding. Ian seemed to be the only one she really enjoyed seeing._

_Ollivander's wife, Annabeth, had left a few minutes before, taking their young daughter Artemis home. Ian didn't think it was necessary for little Artemis to sit through a death watch. He was grateful, however, that his best friend Julian was there with him, so that he wouldn't have to face her passing completely alone. He smiled at Julian. They'd met all those years ago at Hogwart's and had remained friends ever since._

_A frail voice wandered out from the bedroom. "Ian? Ian?"_

_Both Ian and Julian got up and went to the door. Julian waited just outside while Ian went in. The bedroom felt small, but that was only because of the rich furniture that filled it. The ornate Victorian dressing table and chests were made of a dark mahogany and the drapes on the windows were lush forest-green velvet. Ian's great grandmother was nearly lost in the massive four-post bed. She was propped up on several pillows and raised her hand slowly. It trembled from the effort._

"_You're a good boy, Ian, staying with a nasty old lady while she dies," she said._

"_You're not nasty, Nana. You just have strong opinions." He picked up a small, worn rag doll from the night stand. "Here. You were sleeping when Artemis left. She wanted her doll to stay with you so that you would have someone to play with." Ian got a little misty as he handed the doll to her. Artemis was too young to fully understand death, but she did understand that "Queen Nana" (her name for her great-great grandmother) wasn't feeling well._

_The old woman took it and smiled. "She is a good girl, Ian…" Her voice trailed away and all of her attention suddenly focused on the doll._

"_Nana? Nana, what's wrong?" The fear in Ian's voice brought Julian into the room quickly._

_Suddenly, with her free hand, Ian's great-grandmother grabbed his arm with surprising strength, digging her fingernails into his flesh. Her cheeks became flushed and her eyes were eerily bright, as if she'd been overcome by a sudden fever._

"_The wee one," she gasped. "The wee one!" The doll, grasped tightly in her other hand, began to shake._

"_Artemis? Nana, what about Artemis?" Ian was scared. His great grandmother's knack for divination was well known throughout the wizarding world. Her tea leaf readings and astrology charts were rarely wrong, and while she had very few prophetic visions, the ones that had come to her had all proven to be startlingly accurate._

"_Love," gasped the old woman. "Love will be hard for her. Infatuations may abound, affection may fill her days, but only one true love will she ever have… Hawk-sharp, a shadowed soul. He will dance with Death… and blood… only through blood, when only despair and resignation remains, will she truly have him…"_

_Her hand clamped down on Ian's arm, long nails digging even more deeply into him. She blinked, surprised, confused and then she sank back into the soft down pillows. A moment later, Abigail Athena Montgomery Ollivander sighed softly and died._

"You were in the bedroom with me, Julian. You heard her. That was a prophecy… and now she's in love with this boy, this… Death Eater in the making?" Ollivander started to work on his fourth fire whiskey.

"Ian, she's young. She probably thinks he's the only one she'll love. Don't you remember feeling that way over the first bird you truly fancied?"

Ollivander nodded, but he was unconvinced. "But you heard Nana Ollivander. She wasn't always right with her tea leaves or her astrology charts, but she was _never_ wrong when she offered prophecy…"

"No, she wasn't," said Julian. "You're going to have to make peace with that. There's always a chance that she's wrong this time. If not, then what will happen, will happen. Struggle all you want, but you may not be able to change the outcome. Or by trying to change it, will you make it come through?" Julian knew that wasn't want Ollivander wanted to hear, but they'd been friends too long for Julian to try to reassure him with hollow platitudes. That would be one shy step away from lying to him outright.

"But maybe I can change things," said Ollivander more vehemently. "I won't let Artemis ruin her life. I won't. Thank you for listening, Julian. You're a good friend. I'm sorry I woke you." Ian threw another packet into the fire, severing the connection before Julian could respond.

In his cozy little house on the coast near Southampton, Julian leaned back in his own chair and summoned a glass of wine with his wand. Deep down in his soul, he knew this was not going to go well for Ian. Not well at all.

-- -- -- -- --

_Well, what did you think? I'd love to hear your feedback and thank you – once again – for taking the time to read my story!_


	12. Chapter 12: Venus Rising

**Chapter 12: Venus Rising**

Although all that remained of the summer were a scant few weeks, they seemed to take an eternity in the Ollivander household. While she was never rude or started any arguments, Artemis kept a cool distance between herself and her father, a clear indication of how furious she still was.

The few times Ian tried to talk to his daughter, Ollivander's words on deaf ears or started an argument. When Julian suggested he tell Artemis about Abigail's prophecy, Ollivander flat our refused. He'd never wanted her to know, fearing it would become self-fulfilling. He wasn't going to let her ruin her life; he just couldn't bear the thought.

Artemis had sent a few clandestine owls to Severus, telling him how much she missed him, she didn't care what her father thought, and that he could only tell her what to do for a few more months. Once she was 17, she could do what she liked. She got one back from him and they both managed to sneak away for an evening together.

When the school term arrived, Artemis and Severus discovered they had a brief reprieve. After they arrived at Slytherin House they were told that after the Sorting Ceremony, there would be two full days – rather than just one – before classes began. They didn't pay much attention during the Sorting Ceremony; after seeing several years worth of them, another herd of knock-kneed, frightened First Year's didn't impress them much.

The next day, Artemis, Severus, and most of their friends spent a lot of the day watching the Slytherin Quidditch team – at least the returning members – conduct an informal practice. It was a fun, leisurely day and later, after supper, Artemis and Severus went out, intent on spending a little time alone before classes began. They were sitting under some trees, near the edge of the lake. The sun had just gone down and the oranges and pinks in the sky were slowly giving way to deeper blues and greys as night started to sweep across the sky. Just over the horizon, a bright dot appeared in the sky.

Artemis pointed. "Venus."

"Can you believe this is our last year?" asked Severus. "This is the last time we'll come to Hogwart's as students."

"And all everyone can talk about is what they're going to do after we leave here," she said. "A lot of people keep trying to point me towards Healing. I know I'm good at it, but I don't want to work at Saint Mungo's."

"What about Charms? Your marks are outstanding in that class," said Severus. "Maybe you could combine that with Healing. Make charms for people to use."

"Hmm. Interesting. I hadn't really thought of that," she said. "I'm sure my father will want me to go into the business with him, but I'm not sure I can do that. Not now." She frowned and then shook the mood off. "Ah, I know! I'll travel all around England and Europe and do divination. It runs in my family you know, my great-great grandmother Abigail – I used to call her Queen Nana – was pretty famous. I could follow in her footsteps."

"My fortune-teller girlfriend," laughed Severus. He didn't take divination all that seriously.

"What about you? What are you going to do?" asked Artemis.

"I'm going to be respected," he said firmly. "Maybe even feared. And I'm going to be successful. I love potions and I'm good at them, and good Potion Masters are in high demand. I've also got some talent with the Dark Arts, and you never know what kind of opportunities that might bring." He did not mention the Death Eaters by name. "Who knows, maybe I'll come back here to Hogwart's and be the next DADA professor. Maybe I'll even be Headmaster someday." He laughed.

"And a stern task-master you will be, but until then…" Artemis held out her hand. "Come with me."

They left the small comfortable hill where they had been relaxing, and walked a little ways around the lake and the evening deepened around them. When they reached a small stand of trees and bushes, Artemis stopped. Severus looked around. This place wasn't that much different from where they'd been before, so he figured Artemis had something up her sleeve. Artemis gestured again and he followed her into the trees. Inside the grove, it was remarkably open. The moss grew thick and soft, and it felt springy under his feet.

Artemis took out her wand and walked around the opening, whispering some spells. Severus watched her curiously, wondering what she was up to. Returning to the opening, Artemis pointed her wand and said, "_Accio basket_." A moment later, a large woven basket came soaring into the clearing. It settled on the ground. Opening the lid, Artemis pulled out a large blanket and put it on the ground. After that she retrieved a large bottle of butterbeer, fruit, sandwiches, and two small packages of treacle tart.

"A picnic? At night?" asked Severus.

Artemis shrugged. "When you visited, I saw some people in the park going to a picnic. It looked like fun, and it will be a busy year with final classes and NEWTS and whatnot. I thought it would be nice to have one moment to ourselves before everyone in Slytherin House is involved in our lives again."

"I do like the way you think, Artemis Ollivander." Severus kicked off his shoes and settled himself on the blanket. Artemis poured him some butterbeer and then they started digging into the food. By the time they were finished with the meal, night had fallen and moonlight filtered through the tree branches.

"I thought the tart came out well," Artemis said, offering a critique her own cooking.

"It was excellent. Are you certain there isn't more?"

"No," laughed Artemis, "there's no more tart."

Severus slid closer on the blanket and pulled Artemis over to him. "Oh, I still think there's a bit of tart left," he said with a low laugh. He wrapped her up in his arms and kissed her.

A considerable time later, Artemis shifted and sat up, putting her knees on the blanket on either side of Severus. Her hair, which she'd started to grow out, was disheveled from Severus' tangling his fingers in it while they kissed. She'd quite deftly managed to unbutton Severus' shirt during that time and now it was flung wide. His pale skin was warm under her hands. She smiled. She really did love him.

Severus gazed back up at her. He put his hands on the front of Artemis' thighs and slid them up slowly until his fingers disappeared under the hem of her short skirt, watching her expression the entire time.

She laughed and bent to kiss him. In the months since that first time they'd snogged up onto the Astronomy Tower, both Artemis and Severus had learned – with all the awkward enthusiasm of two teenagers – what they each liked and what turned them on. Slowly, one button at a time, Artemis opened her own shirt until Severus could see the lace and satin of her bra. He shifted restlessly beneath her, tightening his hold on her thighs.

He took one hand from where it rested on her leg and slid it up Artemis' side, following the curve of her waist and her ribs, until his hand moved from warm skin to textured lace. Artemis' shut her eyes and let her head fall back.

Severus, his other hand still beneath her skirt, hooked his fingers into the waistband of Artemis' panties. They too were satin and lace; the texture made his fingers tingle. She made a small noise, throaty and passionate, as his fingers traced the line between satin and skin. Severus wanted Artemis so much; he thought he would die from it. He dreamed about her when he slept and at least several nights each week, he would wake up sweaty and wanting.

His voice was hoarse, husky, and he almost couldn't believe the words came out of his mouth. "I want you, Artemis. I don't want to wait any more."

"Neither do I."

Severus froze. Had he heard Artemis correctly? He looked up, his nearly-black eyes meeting her softer brown ones. He saw the same fire in her eyes that he felt inside himself. He _had_ heard Artemis correctly. He wrapped his arms around her and sat up, keeping Artemis pinned in his lap. He buried his head in the crook of her neck, kissing her fiercely on the neck and the lips, and then lower. Severus pulled the straps of her bra off of her shoulders and kissed her breasts where the material fell away.

Artemis ran her fingers up his back and tangled them in Severus' hair. She pulled on it, making him tilt his head backward until his face angled up towards her. Dropping her head down, Artemis kissed him hard on the lips. As they kissed, Severus shifted, rolling Artemis down onto the blanket. He ran a hand up her leg until he reached her thigh.

"Are you sure?" He was almost afraid to ask; he was convinced he would die if she changed her mind and said no.

Instead, Artemis tugged at the waistband of his pants. "Absolutely sure."

They wasted little time after that.

Later, Severus lay on the blanket and stared up at the few stars he could see through the canopy of leaves. Artemis was curled next to him, her head on his shoulder, running a finger up and down one of his arms. They were both thinking about the past hour. Their first time together had been a little awkward and tentative, but not uncaring.

"Are you okay?" asked Severus.

Artemis smiled. "I'm perfect. Everything was just the way I hoped. But we do need to get going; we're going to catch hell when we get back," she said. She ran her fingers down his cheek and then sat up, her fingers already buttoning up her blouse.

"I don't care," answered Severus brashly; he was obviously feeling quite full of himself. He shrugged as he started to button his own shirt. "I could get detention for the rest of the year and it would be worth it." He pulled Artemis closer to him and kissed her again.

After, Artemis used her wand to send the picnic basket back to where it had come from and they dashed back to Slytherin House. Bellatrix was also sneaking back in, so they didn't have to deal with the portrait, and all Bella did was give them a knowing smile. They both knew she'd let it slip to their friends that Artemis and Severus were creeping in during the wee hours of the morning, but they didn't care.

"Sev," whispered Artemis just before she went upstairs. "You know I love you, don't you?"

"I do," he whispered back with a smile. "I love you, too…" His voice trailed a little as – abruptly – Lily Evans invaded his thoughts. "… Artemis."

Artemis heard the hesitation and knew where it came from, but she'd already seen Lily and James. It was obvious that they were definitely an item. She knew Lily had no interest in Severus. And if Lily wasn't interested, then Lily wasn't a threat.

**-- -- -- -- --**

_Yet another chapter done. I hope you enjoyed this one. I'm pretty happy with it overall, but I'm always very self-critical of any sort of love scene that I write. I wanted enough detail to be a bit spicy, but didn't want to get into any real graphic detail… feedback on this would be particularly welcome. Did the scene work?_

_Thanks for reading this chapter (and the story as a whole). Looking forward to getting everyone's feedback._


	13. Chapter 13: Keep Enemies Closer

**Chapter 13: Keep Enemies Closer**

If Lily Evans wasn't a threat in Artemis' eyes, Neela Norman certainly was. Neela was one year younger than Artemis and she was clearly interested in Severus. School had been in session for over a month, and on several different occasions, Artemis had discovered Neela fawning over an extremely uncomfortable Severus. Obviously, Neela hadn't taken Artemis warning from before summer break seriously. It was time to show Neela that it was unwise to ignore her.

Two days after she walked in on Neela rather breathlessly asking Severus what he thought of her new blouse (which was unbuttoned far lower than it should have been), Artemis came in from outside. Her cheeks were pink from the chill of the wind, and she was wearing her winter robes and gloves. Winter had come early to Hogwart's, and along with the deep and unseasonably cold there had even been a brief snow flurry or two. Although Artemis wasn't fond of the cold, snuggling with Severus under a blanket during Quidditch games had been at least one positive aspect to the foul weather.

The door had barely closed behind her, when Neela appeared in the hall. Artemis smiled. _You're right on time; predictable little bint._ "Hello, Neela."

"Hi, Artemis. How are you?" Neela's smile was as insincere as her question.

"I'm fine." Artemis reached out and took Neela's hands. "Look at your nails," she said. "What kind of spell did you use for that?" Neela's fingernails had small snakes painted on them, and when you looked at them, each one writhed and hissed. Artemis made sure she examined each and every one.

Neela giggled; it was a high, reedy sound. "I could show you when I come back to the common room. It is really quite easy, but you need to really _concentrate_ or they won't all look the same." The tone of her voice clearly said that she didn't think Artemis could manage to do it. "I did them for the upcoming Quidditch game."

"That would be fun," said Artemis, ignoring the implied slight. "You know, Neela, I think maybe we got off on the wrong foot last semester. I can't have you show me tonight – I have to get two parchments done. Let's meet there tomorrow night. Would that be okay with you?"

"Of course it would. That would be fun," Neela lied.

Artemis gave Neela's hands a vigorous rub. "The wind is really nippy. Your hands will get cold if you don't wear gloves!"

"Bye," said Neela. She glanced once at Artemis and fought to keep the sly grin from her face. _This will be perfect. If I can spend time with Artemis, then I can spend time with Severus. And if she starts acting like the jealous bitch that she is, Severus will certainly get tired of that!_

Back in her room, Artemis – trying not to look like the cat that ate the canary – carefully pulled her gloves off and dropped them into a cast iron cauldron. She pushed the cauldron under her bed where no one would see it. Later that night, just before curfew, she smuggled the cauldron outside. Hiding behind some trees, she pointed her wand at it and whispered, "_Incindio!_"

Flames erupted in the cauldron, reducing the gloves to ash. When she was confident the gloves were destroyed, Artemis dumped the ash out onto the ground and conjured up a light breeze to make sure the ashes were scattered far and wide.

The next morning, Artemis was sitting with Severus, Dolph, Cissy and several others. About five seats down, Neela was trying to catch Severus' attention. Cissy leaned over to Artemis and whispered, "Doesn't it bother you? The way she flirts with your boyfriend? I couldn't stand it if Lucius was still here and she behaved like that."

Artemis shrugged slightly. "I'm not particularly worried about Neela," she answered. "She is… inconsequential." Artemis turned her attention back to her plate, ignoring the interest and curiosity in Cissy's face. A moment or two later, a shrill shriek split the air causing several students to drop silverware and plates. Up at the teacher's table, Professor McGonagall jumped to her feet.

"What's wrong with me? They itch! Make it stop!" Neela leaped away from her seat, scraping frantically at her hands.

"Oh! They're on her face, too!" cried Cissy, and somehow her voice seemed to carry across the entire room despite the chaos. Every student turned to stare at Neela and as one, they gasped.

Neela's arms and face – and presumably the rest of her body – were covered with angry, red pustules that had exploded out of nowhere. They formed, blossomed, and erupted within a matter of moments, oozing pale blue-green pus. One in the center of her forehead burst, sending pus dribbling down her nose.

Neela started to sob.

"Come along," said Professor McGonagall. "Off to the infirmary. Let's go." She shooed the weeping Neela ahead of her, taking care not to touch the girl. Cissy was the only one who looked at Artemis, and she could swear that the barest wraith of a smile danced around the corners of Artemis' mouth.

Neela's mystery illness was the main topic of conversation for the next three days while she languished in the school's sick ward. Then, unexpectedly, Xerxes Blackmoore, the Head of Slytherin House, came to see Artemis along with Headmaster Dumbledore.

Blackmoore was stooped and wrinkled, and probably only a year or two away from retirement. He was not, however, unaware, and any student who had been pinned by his cold stare knew very well that his feeble looks belied a razor-sharp mind. He was a striking contrast to the benevolent Headmaster.

"Miss Ollivander," said Professor Blackmoore. "Miss Norman is recovering from her illness, but she seems to think that you may have had something to do with it." He stared hard at Artemis, wondering if she would flinch and betray herself.

"Me? Why would she ever think that?"

"She didn't specify but is convinced, and she was… vocal. Do you own a pair of black gloves?" Blackmoore flung questions like daggers as he moved his inquisition forward.

"I do."

"May we see them, Miss Ollivander?" asked Dumbledore pleasantly, preempting another comment from Xerxes.

"Of course, Headmaster. They're right here with my cloak." She gestured to the side, where her outer cloak was draped over the back of a chair. When she reached to get the cloak, Professor Blackmoore waved her away. Then he used his wand to carefully remove the gloves, handling them as if they were Devil's Snare and he was going to get caught up in it.

"I'm not certain why you want my gloves, but may I have them back when you're through? They're the only pair I have." Artemis sat quietly in a chair, an earnest expression on her face, and watched the two men examine her gloves.

Blackmoore handed the gloves back to Artemis. "Is everything alright?" she asked.

"Yes, my dear," said Dumbledore. "Everything is just fine. Miss Norman's malady was actually caused by exposure to Zalen Urchin venom. Very nasty stuff until you can get the antidote, and even with that, pustule eruptions will continue off and on for several months. Usually when she's stressed or anxious."

"Really?" said Artemis with a gasp of surprise. "How on earth would she have been exposed to something like that?"

"That's what we're trying to find out," snapped Blackmoore with a glare at Dumbledore. He was torn; he never liked it when one of his Slytherin students was accused of something (even if it was by another Slytherin), but he also knew Artemis. She had never gotten herself into trouble, but there was something about her that had always made him wonder. It was just a feeling, but deep in his bones, he knew that Artemis wasn't going to be someone you should cross.

"Thank you for your time, Miss Ollivander," said Dumbledore. "I hope we didn't inconvenience you."

"Oh no," said Artemis. "It was no trouble at all, Headmaster. I'm glad I could at least clear a little of this up." She smiled brightly at the two men.

Three days later, Neela returned to Slytherin House, her arms and hands bandaged, and dozens of angry scabs on her face. She sat down on one of the sofas and listened to her friends murmur pale sympathies about her predicament. Artemis, along with Raven and Clarissa, sat across from her when some space on the sofa opened up.

When Neela's other friends left, Artemis leaned forward. She casually pushed her hair behind her ears and looked earnestly at her rival. "The next time I tell you to stay out of my business, maybe you'll listen."

Neela's eyes got wide.

"I'd hate to see something like this happen again. Wouldn't you?" Artemis didn't wait for an answer. She stood up and swept out of the room, Raven and Clarissa following in her wake.

--- --- --- --- ---

_Well, I think Neela probably got the point. Looking forward to getting feedback on this chapter… I hope you've enjoyed seeing the more ruthless side of Artemis._


	14. Chapter 14: Living with Ghosts

**Chapter 14: Living with Ghosts**

Artemis Ollivander leaned her shoulder against the window frame and looked down at the busy street as people – mostly Muggles – bustled home in the dusk. The cup of tea was warm in her hand, taking away a bit of the chill. The rain was coming, drawn on by the damp wind. Artemis sighed. She should be happier. Today was her 18th birthday and the past year had really been incredible.

Her final year at Hogwart's had zipped by, a quintessential finale for Artemis, Severus and all of their year mates. The thrill of a hard-fought Quidditch season; the agony of that final set of exams; turning seventeen and finally becoming an adult in the eyes of the wizarding world; and the final Yule Ball (including the night after, when she and Severus had broken into the Divination room and turned all of the sitting pillows into a bed). Each and every moment left a mark and a memory.

But this birthday was different. This birthday was the first one since she stopped speaking to her father and moved in with Severus. She had to begrudgingly admit that she missed her father, but she wasn't going to budge. It was up to him to apologize after the things he'd said about Severus, and about her. The memory roiled up in her mind.

After they'd graduated, Severus had come to talk to her father, to persuade Ian how much he cared about Artemis, and that he only wanted the best for her. It hadn't gone well. The growing threat and ominous nature of the Death Eaters was eating away at many people, including Artemis' father, and he wasn't willing to listen at all.

Artemis did her best to get them both to see reason, but to no avail. Finally, after implying that he would be able to provide a better life for Artemis than her father could because of his relationship with Lucius and the Dark Lord, Ollivander's temper snapped.

"_A better life? You mean a life where she is feared by her friends and she gets used as a pawn in You-Know-Who's games? What kind of life is that Severus? Don't you dare drag my daughter there… If you want to destroy your live and be a lap dog, go right a head. You and the rest of those Slytherin fools. None of you Slytherins ever come to a good end, and this is no different!"_

"_I beg your pardon?" There was a pain in Artemis' voice that her father had never heard, and he instantly regretted his poorly thought words._

"_Artemis, I…"_

"_Is that what you think?" She clenched her hands into fists. "You're just going to write me off because I'm from Slytherin? I'm going to be a failure? That I can't stand on my own? Or that I'm going to embrace the Dark Arts with open arms?"_

"_No, you're not going to be a failure," said Ian. _

"_You're right," she said coldly. "I'm not going to be a failure. You'll see…"_

_Ian thought, Ever since your mother died, Artemis, I've seen it… that hard edge, that calculated determination. You'll succeed, but I am so afraid of what the cost will be for you… A moment later he said, "Forgive me, Artemis. I was angry when I said…"_

"_No," she shouted. "I won't forgive you this time. You've been awful to Severus ever since we started seeing each other and I won't put up with it any more. When you're ready to apologize to him, then we can talk. Until then, I don't want to hear from you."_

_After that, Artemis had stormed out of the house. Severus had lingered for a moment, hoping Ian would say something, anything, but her father just looked out the door. He never even acknowledged Severus. With a cold stare, Severus followed Artemis._

_The next day, Artemis went to Gringott's and opened an account of her own. One that her father didn't have access to and she told Severus that she was getting her own apartment. It didn't take them long to decide to live together. Artemis stayed with Raven for a week, and then they found the little two-bedroom flat on the second floor. The landlord was an older gentleman who kept to himself and asked very few questions so long as the rent was on time, and that suited Severus and Artemis just fine._

Outside the little flat, Severus stopped in the street and looked up at the window. He could see Artemis standing there, obviously lost in thought. He was late – quite late, actually – and he felt guilty. It was her birthday after all. He would have been home earlier, but he'd lost track of time at Diagon Alley when he'd seen Lily Evans.

It had been almost a year since he'd last seen Lily. He'd thought about her some, but not too often. But today, today he'd heard her laugh, and then caught sight of her beautiful red hair. Somehow, he couldn't help himself. He had to see her. Severus had stayed far enough behind Lily and her girlfriends that they didn't notice him, and he cast a tiny little spell that let him hear what they were talking about.

In retrospect, a few hours of listening to her sing the praises of that prat James Potter, really hadn't been one of his smartest decisions, but he couldn't help it. As he'd listened, Severus had alternated between jealous, furious, and oddly sad, like he'd lost something precious. Finally, unable to listen any longer, he'd left in a swirl of cloak, and he'd almost left Diagon Alley without getting Artemis her birthday present.

Severus touched the velvet bag in his pocket. He'd spent more than he should have, but he'd been rewarded lately by The Dark Lord, and there was no reason not to enjoy some of the gold.

When he opened the door, Artemis turned away from the window and smiled. Any trace of sadness that was in her eyes disappeared. "Hi Sev," she said. "I'm glad you didn't get caught in the rain. I expected you earlier…"

"I got caught up in something." He looked down at the floor. "I'm sorry. Of any day, I shouldn't have been late on your birthday." He looked a little guilty, but Artemis chose not to ask any more questions. Sometimes she wouldn't press Severus for details because she didn't want to know what he was up to when he was out and about with Lucius, following Voldemort's orders.

Severus kissed and pulled her towards the sofa. "Sit down," he said. "I have something for you."

Artemis jumped onto the sofa and smiled. Severus sat down next to her and couldn't help but smile back. He pulled the bag out of his pocket and dangled it in front of her. "I believe the birthday girl usually gets gifts?"

"She does." Artemis held out her hand but didn't try to take the bag, knowing Severus would try to play a game by keeping it away from her. She looked at him sideways, and he laughed again. He dropped the bag into her palm and Artemis set to work untying the knot.

Shaking the bag, she spilled the contents into her hand. The sizeable pendant rested in her open palm while the fine gold chain spilled through her fingers. "Oh, Severus. It's beautiful! I love it." Artemis stared at the jewel in her hand. It was a polished piece of tear-drop shaped amber, and surrounding it, an outline of diamonds.

She looked up, her eyes glowing, and threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you," she said after she kissed him. "It's perfect. I'll wear it when we go out to dinner with Lucius, Cissy and the others tomorrow."

"I'm glad you like it. I saw it and I knew it was meant for you. Here, let me put it on you." Unclipping the chain, he slid it around her neck and fastened it. The pendant rested just below the hollow of her neck, where her collarbones met.

"Perfect," he said. Artemis smiled again and snuggled against him.

"I made stew," she said. "Are you hungry?"

"I am, but we can wait for a minute. When I came home, Artemis, I saw you in the window. You looked sad… is everything OK?"

"Yes," she answered. "Everything's fine. I was just thinking about my father. I've never had a birthday when he didn't do something for me. I guess I was feeling a little sad."

Severus was relieved. A small part of him had wondered if Artemis knew he'd followed Lily, even though he knew that wasn't realistic. "I know you miss him, luv. Why don't you send him an owl? I know he doesn't like me; I can live with that. But maybe you can fix your relationship with him." Severus was just as happy to never hear from his own father again, but Ian was the only other close family Artemis had. He didn't like the idea that they weren't speaking.

"No." Artemis sat up and folded her arms in front of her stubbornly. "I'm not going to send him an owl. I told him that he is the one who has to apologize. If he loves me, then he has to accept you, too. I was sad before, but as soon as you came in I forgot all about that. You're all I need, Severus. I love you."

"I love you, too." He said. Artemis got up off the sofa and drew the curtains on the window that looked out over the street. Severus watched her, mentally berating himself for his foolishness that afternoon. _I can't believe I was stupid enough to follow Lily, _he thought. _There are people who would kill to come home to someone like Artemis. I've got to be utterly daft._

Then, with a wave of her wand, two bowls filled with stew and floated over to the table in the living room. The bowls were followed by two cold bottles of butterbeer. It only took them a few minutes to eat, and when Artemis was depositing the dishes in the sink, Severus leaned back on the sofa and shut his eyes. He sighed, truly starting to relax for the first time that day.

"I'm ready for my other birthday present."

_Other birthday present?_ Eyes still shut, Severus froze for a moment. Had he forgotten something? Artemis' voice had come from down the little hall. He turned his head before he opened his eyes. When he did, his mouth sagged for a moment and then curled into a crafty smile.

Artemis was leaning in the doorway of the bedroom, thumbs hooked in the pockets of her jeans. The only other things she had on were a dusk-blue lace bra and the necklace Severus had just given her.

Severus breath caught in his throat, and for the moment, all thoughts of Lily disappeared.

-- -- -- -- -- --

_Sorry it has taken a bit to get this posted. I have a fairly large span of time that I want to cover in just a few chapters so we can get on with the balance of the story, and it's taken a little more work than I expected to work out how to fit everything in without seeming too erratic. If it isn't working, please let me know. I'm looking forward to getting your feedback – I hope you enjoy this chapter._


	15. Chapter 15: A Dagger in the Heart

**Chapter 15: A Dagger in the Heart**

The _Quaffle and Snitch_ was, according to most wizards and witches, the premier sports pub in all of London. Not only was it a popular watering hole for many professional Quidditch players, it had an outstanding collection of Quidditch memorabilia (and the selection of beer, fire whiskey, and absinthe was unrivaled). The pub's owner, Thelma "Basher" Broadmere, had been one of the original Beaters on the Holyhead Harpies when the club was founded.

The day after Artemis' birthday, she and Severus met several of their friends for a few pints and to catch up on news. By the time they arrived, almost everyone was there. They had an excellent table in the corner near the street where the windows were made of stained glass. Each window had a pattern of Golden Snitches against the team colors of all the major professional teams.

"I'm glad you're here!" said Lucius with a smile. "Sit. Sit!" As they sat down, Severus ordered a fire whiskey for himself, a butterbeer for Artemis, and then indicated that the next round for the table should be on his tab. The others at the table all cheered and toasted him for that.

When the drinks came, Lucius stood up. "I'd like to make an announcement, my friends." He smiled and actually looked quite pleased with himself. Everyone looked up expectantly.

Lucius held a hand out to Cissy. "Narcissa and I are getting married."

There was a collective shout of congratulations and Narcissa finally pulled off the gloves she was wearing to show everyone the impressively sized diamond on her finger. Bella (who wasn't really old enough yet to be drinking in the pub, but the manager that night wasn't about to say 'no' to Lucius Malfoy) squealed with delight. Bella had known about the engagement for a day or two, and had been practically dying to tell someone. Artemis leaned across the table to hug Cissy while Severus congratulated Lucius.

A few minutes later, after the toasts for the happy couple were done and after she finished nuzzling Dolph's ear, Bella looked over at Artemis and said, "That's quite a necklace, Artemis."

"Thank you, Bella. Severus gave it to me for my birthday."

"Oh, your birthday!" cried Cissy. "That was yesterday, wasn't it?"

"It was," said Artemis with a smile. Lucius ordered another round of beer for everyone to celebrate Artemis' birthday, and soon the table was laughing and talking.

Finally, Bella said, "I heard some other interesting news," she said. "I heard someone else got engaged… I heard Sirius talking about it the other day. James Potter is going to marry that mudblood from school. Lily Evans."

"Figures," scoffed Cissy. "A mudblood? Please."

"Leave it to Potter to lower our gene pool," Lucius muttered before he took another drink.

If he'd actually heard the comments, Severus might have gotten angry, but he was too busy processing what Bella had just said. The thought of Lily married to James Potter, of her being in his arms every night, slid into Severus' heart as pointed and cold as any dagger. Memories of watching her and her sister, Petunia, when they played in the park came rolling to the front of his mind. It had taken him weeks, weeks to muster up the courage to talk to her. She'd been his friend then, and he had loved her.

Hearing that she was getting married made him suddenly realize that his feelings for Lily were real, that he had never stopped loving her, and that he finally understood – at that very moment – how painful a broken heart was.

Artemis felt him stiffen in the moment after Bella's announcement and she touched his arm. "Sev?" she asked quietly. And she wasn't the only one who noticed; several of the others at the table looked at him strangely.

"Oh, nothing," he lied with a casual wave of his hand. "You know how I feel about that cockroach, Potter. Just a few bad memories. He was a bloody pain in my ass while we were in school."

"He was a prat," agreed Dolph. "Him and his pack of chums… no offence, Bella."

"None taken," she answered. "I can't be responsible for the company Sirius keeps. He never did have any taste. Regulus is furious with him." She looked up at Dolph adoringly and squirmed a little closer to him.

"Ah, who cares? Potter can have his little mudblood if he wants her." Lucius put his arm around Cissy's shoulder. "I'll take my pureblood woman, thank you." She giggled and blushed. She liked Lucius calling her 'my woman.'

Artemis remained quiet and watched Severus out of the corner of her eye. She knew that look: The furrowed brow, the tightness around the corners of the eyes. Severus was wrestling with some deep feelings. _I knew that he had feelings for Lily in school, even if he denied it then. I even knew that he thought about her from time to time after we got out of school, but until tonight, I never thought that he loved her. _She frowned.

"So how do you think the Harpies will do this year, Sev?" The question came from Dolph. Severus didn't answer at first and Dolph raised his eyebrows. Artemis poked him under the table and he jumped.

"What?"

"Where's your head, Sev? You certainly aren't here with our friends… or with me. Dolph just asked you about Quidditch."

"Sorry, sorry," he said hastily as he glanced around the table. "The conversation made me think of something. I guess I got lost in my own head."

"Ah, you were always one of the smart ones of the bunch," laughed Dolph. "But come on, what do you think of the Harpies? I think it will be a whole new team now that Amanda Bloodworth is the Keeper."

Artemis lost track of their conversation. Her own thoughts were still far away. _If there is any justice in the universe, then Potter will take his little bride and move far, far away. I'd be just as happy to never hear her name again._

Somehow, however, Artemis knew it would never be that simple.

-- -- -- -- -- --

_Well, there's another chapter. I seem to be getting a lot of hits on this story – if you are reading it, please feel free to leave your comments. I really do enjoy hearing from the people reading my stuff. If you like what I'm doing, let me know so I can keep doing it. If there's something that could be improved or made clearer, let me know that, too – you can't get better if you don't get productive and constructive feedback. Thanks for reading!_


	16. Chapter 16: Promises Made…

**Chapter 16: Promises Made…**

Raven folded herself into the overstuffed arm chair. She shifted, reached behind her back, and tossed a small pillow onto the sofa. Picking up the cup of tea resting on the table next to her, Raven inhaled the scent. There was lemon in the tea. She looked over at Artemis, who was lounging on the sofa.

"So," began Raven without any preamble. "What's his bloody problem, Artemis?"

Artemis rolled her eyes. "Don't start with me, Raven."

"Start with you? I'm not starting anything. I just can't believe you've let him jerk you around this long. You started dating when we were still in school. We're out of school, Lucius and Cissy are married… hell, they're expecting their first child soon. Has Severus even _hinted_ that he's got more plans than just living with you?"

"What's wrong with the situation we have now?" Artemis was annoyed. "Maybe I don't want to get married. Maybe I'm perfectly happy the way things are now."

Raven raised an eyebrow over the edge of the cup as she took another swallow of tea. "Are you really happy, Artemis?"

"Yes." Artemis glared at Raven. She'd invited her friend over for tea so they could catch up. It was so hard now that they were out of school with their individual lives. She didn't want to spend the whole time fighting.

Raven sighed. "I don't mean to be a bitch. I really don't. I just worry about you, Artemis. You're my friend."

"I know," said Artemis with a smile. "And I appreciate you worrying on my behalf, but really, Severus and I are fine." Raven was smart enough to drop the subject after that. They spent the remainder of the afternoon and into the evening talking about more pleasant topics, and often found themselves nearly hysterical with laughter.

Not long after Raven left, Severus came home. He looked utterly exhausted. His face was paler than normal and the dark circles beneath his eyes were a harsh contrast. He smiled wanly at Artemis when he came in and collapsed onto the sofa. She came up behind him and slid her arms around his neck.

"You look terrible," she said. "What happened?"

"It was just a long day," he said. "Don't mind me." His sleeve sagged as he reached up to rub her arm, revealing the skull and serpent symbol – Voldemort's Dark Mark – stark against his flesh.

Artemis looked away, not wanting to look at it. "Severus… Come on. To bed with you; you're exhausted."

He got up and followed Artemis without argument. While he stripped off his clothes, Artemis lit some candles. She'd infused them with some potions that Severus had made; the one she chose had a healthy dose of lavender to help him relax. As she turned around, Artemis hesitated. There were red marks across Severus' back and arms. _What the bloody hell had Voldemort sent him to do? Or, what had Voldemort done TO him_?

Severus crawled into bed and pulled the covers up. Almost as soon as his head landed on the pillow, he was asleep. He murmured something to her, possibly 'good night,' but Artemis couldn't quite make it out. She stood by the side of the bed and watched him. Gently brushing the hair out of his eyes, she thought about what Raven had said.

_I do want to get married,_ she thought. _And Raven's got a point. I don't understand why he hasn't asked me. He must know that I'd say yes. Doesn't he want to? Or… maybe it isn't me he wants to marry._ This time it was her thoughts that darted to Lily Evans Potter, and Artemis crushed them instantly.

Severus shifted slightly in his sleep and when Artemis looked down at him, her face softened and she felt her heart constrict. She loved him so much. "I'll always love you, Severus. I wish you would just love me back. Just me. I wish I didn't have to share you with her." There was no recrimination in her voice, no anger. Artemis wished she could hate Lily, but that wouldn't change anything. Lily had never encouraged him or pursued him (not like that silly bint Neela). None of this was Lily's fault. Artemis just wanted Severus to love her as much as she loved him.

She watched him for another few minutes. Severus shifted restlessly under the sheet as he slept. Even now, his face looked drawn, a little haggard. The Dark Mark stood out against his pale skin. She remembered how pleased Severus had been when he came home with it.

"_Don't you see?" He turned on the sofa to face her, his eyes bright with excitement. "This is wonderful. I've been taken into the Dark Lord's inner circle. Me, Lucius, Dolph… and others. As we gain more influence, the future is ours to design." He took her hands into his. "Soon we'll be able to move out of this little flat. We can buy a bigger house, a fancier one. One that is more suitable for us."_

_Artemis wasn't entirely certain what to think. Oh, she wanted a big fancy house, she wouldn't deny that, but what was 'unsuitable' about their flat? It had served them quite well these few years._

"_What are you going to have to do now that you're… marked?"_

_He chose to ignore her hesitation. "Whatever Lord Voldemort requires," he answered. "There are any number of ways my talents can be put to use for his cause. Things will be better now."_

But things hadn't gotten "better." If anything, Severus was away more, and he always seemed preoccupied. And Artemis knew that people whispered behind their hands about him; she guessed the things they said probably weren't particularly flattering.

And each time he went out, or was away for days, she worried. He always seemed to come home injured or exhausted, the kind of bone deep exhaustion that came from working the very darkest of the Dark Arts. Each time he went out, she wondered if he would come home.

It was that worry that now sent her to her little workshop rather than to bed with Severus. She walked quietly so that she was sure she wouldn't wake Sev up and went to the small room that served as her own workshop. Artemis was developing her own charms business on the side and she'd created this place so she had one area to do all of her work.

She put a disc of silver onto her work surface and touched it gently with the tip of her wand. She spoke her spells softly and soon the silver glowed as she infused it with power. By the time she was done, it was nearly dawn. Severus stirred slightly when she crawled into bed but didn't wake up.

Artemis did the same thing for the next three nights. On the last night, she used a spell to soften the silver. _"Separtum,"_ she whispered and then she dragged the tip of her wand down the center of the disc, separating it into two pieces. With a little more manipulation, each half became a uniformly shaped rectangle with rounded corners. Then she started to inscribe it. She engraved each with a set of interlacing runes: one for power, one for victory, one for strength, one for healing and one for compassion. They blended and flowed into each other, bright liquid silver flowing through the base disc metal.

It took her an hour just to complete the engraving on the two charms and when she was done, beads of sweat were trickling down Artemis' neck. She took one of the charms, slid it onto a strip of leather, and fastened it around her own neck. Then she took the other charm and walked towards the bedroom.

Outside the door, she hesitated. Pressing the other charm over her heart, Artemis shut her eyes. _I'm doing this for his own good,_ she thought. _The Death Eaters will literally be the death of him if I don't do something. I don't have a choice. No choice. _Artemis squared her shoulders and walked silently into the room. The open curtains let in a flood of moonlight. Severus was sound asleep in the bed.

She pointed her wand. _"Imperio."_ Severus twitched and groaned as the spell enveloped him.

"Severus," she said. "Sit up and pay attention to me." He did as he was commanded, the sheet falling to his waist. There was something profoundly attractive about him in that moment as he sat there in the moonlight with his hair disheveled from sleep. If it hadn't been for her guilt of using the Imperius Curse on him, Artemis may have spent a few more minutes admiring him. She'd seen other men that she'd found attractive over the years, but none of them made her take notice the way he did.

Artemis held out the charms. "Take this charm and put it on. It will protect you." Severus reached out obediently and put the necklace on.

"You will never want to take this off, ever," Artemis ordered. "If you are ever in dire straits, a time when there is no hope left, use the charm to call me. I will come for you, no matter what. I love you, Severus. Sometimes I'm not sure why, but I do, and nothing will change that, ever. Do you understand?"

"I understand," he said.

"What have I told you?"

"That you love me. And I'm to wear this charm always. It will protect me and I can call you if I'm in trouble, real trouble." If it weren't for the odd way he was holding his head, Artemis would have thought they were having a normal conversation. Severus hadn't resisted the Curse, but then again, Artemis hadn't ordered him to do anything truly against his will.

"And you're not to call attention to it. As far as anyone else is concerned, the charm just has some sentimental value for you."

"I won't point it out to anyone," he repeated, "and if they ask, it is just a trifle."

"Excellent," said Artemis. "You're not going to remember any of this conversation after you go back to sleep. When you wake up, you'll just think that the charm is something you've had for years."

"I'll remember nothing," said Severus mildly.

_Oh, if I could just be ruthless enough to make him forget Lily ever existed,_ Artemis thought. _But I know he would fight that, and then I would always wonder if he really loved me or if it was forced and hollow._

"Go back to sleep, Severus. I love you."

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

_Well, another chapter up and done. Hope you enjoyed it. Thanks to the new readers who have flagged my story in their "alert" files or "favorite" files. I appreciate it! Looking forward to your feedback!_


	17. Chapter 17: Life

**Chapter 17: Life… **

The next few weeks passed without incident. Artemis carefully watched Severus for any signs that he might be aware she'd placed him under the forbidden Imperius Curse and ordered him to wear the protective charm she'd made. Nothing changed, and he never even hinted that he wanted to take the charm off. Eventually, she relaxed and accepted that the spell had worked, and soon a handful of months had slipped by.

One Saturday, when they'd been invited to dinner at Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy's home, Severus and Artemis decided to walk since the weather was so nice. The dinner itself had been utterly delectable, and Lucius had opened several bottles of excellent wine from France and Spain. Cissy had been certain to bring little Draco out to show him off to the guests before having the Malfoy House Elf, a little creature named Dobby, bundle the baby off for bed.

Cissy excused herself for a moment to go check and make sure Dobby had followed her instructions exactly. Lucius took a long drink of wine and leaned back in his chair. "It will be a little bit of déjà vu when Draco goes to Hogwart's," said Lucius. "I'm sure he'll be at the top of his class, and he'll be able to put Potter's son in his place."

Severus didn't say anything, but Artemis wrinkled her brow. "Potter's son?"

"Oh, yes," said Lucius. "Didn't Severus mention it to you? Potter and his little mudblood had a son. What seven, eight months ago, wasn't it Sev? It wasn't long after Draco was born." Severus' supposedly disinterested shrug was forced.

"Hmm." Artemis took a drink of her own wine and held out the empty glass. Lucius refilled it. She tried not to read too much into the comment, or into Severus' distinct lack of a response. _He knew,_ she thought. _He knew Lily was pregnant, and he never mentioned it to me. But why would he? We're not friends with them; in fact, Sev and I both detest Potter. It isn't like Lily having a baby is something I'd expect him to tell me…_

"Artemis. Artemis!" Cissy stood in the doorway. "Come here for a minute; I want to show you something."

"You gentlemen will excuse me?" Artemis got up and followed Cissy out of the room.

Lucius watched them go and then leaned forward. "I don't know where Dumbledore has hidden Potter and his wife, but we'll find them. The Dark Lord wants to put an end to this prophecy that you told him about. He was very pleased that you'd brought him that delightful tidbit of information."

Severus took a drink of wine to delay his answer. He thought about how he'd begged Voldemort to spare Lily. Begged him. And the Dark Lord had laughed, saying that Severus was just lusting after Lily – there were much more suitable women, pureblood women, for Severus to dally with. Severus had been furious; he'd been a loyal servant to Voldemort, and the Dark Lord had denied him this one request?

"I'm sure everything will work out," he said finally. _They'll be safe… Lily will be safe… Dumbledore will see to that._ He had no qualms about having told Dumbledore about the attempt on the Potters; anything to keep Lily safe. Just then the two women returned and they stopped talking about Death Eater business.

They stayed at the Malfoys until rather late, and their stroll home was leisurely at best. Very tired, and drowsy from too much wine, Severus and Artemis crawled into bed once they got back to the flat. They fell asleep curled around each other. Later that night, Artemis woke up with a start, started to sit up, and stopped as Severus thrashed again. He was dreaming. Artemis smiled and started to lie back down. Next to her, Severus murmured.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled. "Forgive me… I didn't mean it. Come back. Wait!"

She leaned close to him, intending to whisper in his ear that she wasn't going anywhere, hoping that would soothe his dream and send him back to a more restful slumber.

He thrashed again. "Please, no… Lily… _Lily!_"

Artemis froze and blinked as quickly as she could to force the tears away. He was dreaming about Lily Potter? She turned her back to Severus and pulled the sheet up to her chin. Despite her best efforts, a few determined tears pushed past her tightly squeezed lids and trickled onto the pillow.

She spent the rest of the night shivering, struggling against her fears and an imagination run rampant: _He dreams about Lily? Has he always dreamed about her? Bloody hell, what does he dream about her? And if he dreams about her at night, how much does he think about her during the day? Does he think about me?_

She jerked in the bed and almost sat up. A small, strangled sound escaped her throat. _Did you think about me last night, Severus? Or were you wishing you were shagging Lily instead? _It was far, far too painful of a thought to dwell on for long.

When the sun finally brought some light into the oppressive dark, Artemis slid out of bed. It was no use trying to sleep now. She wandered into the kitchen and made breakfast for them. Severus woke up a short time later, and after he'd showered and dressed, he found his way to the kitchen. He said good morning, gave Artemis a kiss on the top of the head as he reached for a bowl, and then sat down to eat.

"Severus."

He was reading the _Daily Prophet_ and the tone of her voice stopped him in mid-page turn. He looked up slowly, taking in the dark, sad circles under her eyes. He didn't say anything when he met her eyes. Twice, Artemis opened her mouth to say something. Twice, she hesitated.

"I can't do this anymore. I just can't. She's always with us."

"Artemis? What are you talking about?"

She gave him a funny look. "Lily."

As soon as she said the name, Severus lowered the paper and became very still as he tried to blend into the table. He was not successful.

"Ever since we were at Hogwart's, since we were 16 years old, I've never asked you to choose. Never." Her arms were folded in front of her, and he could see the line of her jaw clenching and relaxing, over and over. "You were dreaming about her last night, Sev. You were calling for her." Severus dropped his eyes. What could he say? He did dream about Lily sometimes; denying it to Artemis would be foul indeed, and she would know.

"I have to know," Artemis said. "Do you love me?"

He'd known the question was coming; in fact, he realized he'd been expecting it for quite some time. Still, hearing it spoken out loud was shocking. And why now? Why this moment? A week ago, he might have believed he was over Lily Evans, but now that he knew the Dark Lord wanted her dead… And how long would it be before Voldemort used Artemis to control him? Artemis would be better off without him. He did love her; he truly did, but she'd be safer without him, and his place in the Death Eaters wouldn't taint her.

Unable to glimpse his thoughts, Artemis read what she feared into his silence: despite the fact that Lily had never shown any romantic interest in Severus, despite the fact that she'd married James Potter and had a child, Severus was still in love with Lily Evans. He loved Lily's memory more than he loved her.

Artemis' eyes filled, the tears blurring her vision. "There's only room in our bed for the two of us, Severus, not three. You haven't answered me… Do you love me?"

"Artemis… I… yes, but Lily is…"

Artemis' hand shot into the air, the gesture slicing through the fumbled words to silence Severus. She didn't even speak. She just looked at him for a long moment. Sadness, disbelief, grief, and pain all played across her face. Artemis turned her back on Severus and walked out of the room. She didn't see him look at the floor, engulfed by shame.

-- -- -- -- -- -- --

_So, what do you think? The cracks are becoming more obvious, more overt, and Artemis can't ignore them any more. Thanks for continuing to read the story (or for starting to read it if you have just recently run across it!). I appreciate you taking the time and would love to get some feedback!_


	18. Chapter 18: … And Death

**A/N: **Part of this chapter overlaps with events in Deathly Hallows. I have paraphrased a bit of dialogue for continuity purposes only.

**Chapter 18: … And Death**

When Severus got home that night, Artemis wasn't there, nor was she in the bed when he woke up in the morning. He crept out of the bedroom, taking care to be quiet because he was afraid he would wake Artemis if she was sleeping on the sofa. She wasn't there either.

For a moment, he shifted from foot to foot, indecisive with a queasy feeling in his stomach. Then he shook his head as if to clear it. Artemis not coming home wasn't a complete surprise. In all the years they'd been together, there were a handful of times when they'd had fairly major fights and one or the other slept either on the sofa or at a friend's house. He'd slept in one of the Malfoy's guest bedrooms on an occasion or two.

_She's probably with Raven,_ he thought to himself. _I'll talk to her tonight. She'll be home then and I can explain everything. When I tell her why I'm so concerned about Lily, she'll understand._ He nodded to himself. Everything would be back in order by nightfall. Everything would be fine.

But everything wasn't fine. Everything changed when Severus walked out the door that morning. The headline of the paper screamed about a murder most foul… how James and Lily Potter had been brutally killed in their cottage at Godrick's Hollow by none other than their best friend, Sirius Black.

Severus had roared with rage and pain at the news, and had immediately leaped on his broom and sped into the sky as if he could outrun the knowledge that Lily was dead. Dead! He knew Sirius wasn't responsible; Severus knew exactly who had done this.

He didn't think about where he was going, he just flew, soaring through the clouds. The mist coated him, soaking his hair and his face until he couldn't tell what rain was and what were tears. Soon he realized that he was heading directly towards Hogwart's and the anger started to take over. Dumbledore was going to protect her! Dumbledore had promised. He had _promised_… and now Lily was dead.

No one questioned him as he headed towards the Headmaster's office. Whether it was because they chose to ignore him, or because his grief-stricken face scared them away, Severus didn't know, and he didn't care. All he wanted were answers. The great spiraling staircase seemed interminably slow as it drew him upwards to the office.

Dumbledore, looking sad and worn, glanced up from his books when Severus stepped in the room. But the man, who in the not so distant future would become his Potions professor, didn't afford him the opportunity to speak first.

"I thought… you were going… to keep her… safe…" Severus bit the words out, bitter and ugly.

Dumbledore sighed, but his words were steel. "Lily and James chose to put their faith in the wrong person," he said. "Rather like you, Severus. Weren't you hoping Lord Voldemort would spare her?"

Severus' groan was filled with agony, but Dumbledore didn't stop. "Her son is still alive," the Headmaster said. "Harry lives and he has her eyes. I'm sure you remember what Lily's eyes looked like…"

"Stop!" roared Snape. "She's gone… dead…"

"Do I hear remorse in your voice, Severus?" Dumbledore watched him intently.

"I wish… I wish I were dead…" There was a hopelessness that infused his voice.

"How selfish a wish. What use would your death be to anyone?" Dumbledore's voice was cold. "You are the only one who would benefit and it would just break the hearts of people who love you." Hogwart's Headmaster didn't mention Artemis by name, but Severus understood and it only made his agony more intense.

"If you ever loved Lily Evans, if you truly loved her, Severus, then your way forward is obvious. Perfectly clear."

Lost in a fog of pain and grief, it took a long time for Severus to hear Dumbledore's words, but finally he looked up through his messy hair. "What do you mean?" His voice was thick with suspicion.

"You know how and why she died. Make sure it wasn't in vain. Help me protect him… Help me protect Lily's son."

Finally, Severus relented, and agreed to help, but only after eliciting Dumbledore's promise to never reveal his role in everything to young Harry. It made Dumbledore sad to think that there was such a brave man dwelling within Severus, but that he wouldn't let it show because of his animosity towards James.

When Severus returned that night, utterly exhausted by grief and rage, drained from his meeting with Albus Dumbledore, he realized the small flat was empty. Clothes, some pictures, all of her charm materials had disappeared. Artemis was gone.

Severus sat on the edge of the bed and stared at the Dark Mark on his arm, loathing the very sight of it. In his other hand, he held a dagger and with its tip, he traced a line down the middle of the mark. It was a light touch, not enough to connect him to Lord Voldemort. The temptation to carve the hideous thing out of his arm was almost overwhelming.

"You cost me everything," Severus hissed as he stared at the Mark. "Lily is dead. Artemis is gone. Artemis was right all along… you suck the life out of everything you touch. I listened to you; I believed you. And now I've got nothing left. Nothing."

But deep inside, Severus knew that wasn't true. There was one thing left, and that was revenge.

-- -- -- --

_Well, there's another chapter. Hope you've enjoyed it. There is still plenty more to come, so don't worry. Thanks for reading the story – and please send me your feedback! I'd love to hear from you. _


	19. Chapter 19: Fire and Ice

**Chapter 19: Fire and Ice**

He whispered in her ear, telling her all the things he loved about her, the shine of her hair, the feel of her skin against his. Artemis couldn't help but gasp as Severus' hands gripped her hips as he rocked them both forward. Digging her fingers into the sheets, she whispered his name. He slid one hand up her naked back, and pushed her hair to one side. He leaned, letting Artemis feel his hips close against her, his skin on fire along hers. She leaned back into him, matching his passion as he kissed her shoulder hard.

"Artemis." His breath became ragged. "Artemis!"

"Severus!" Artemis lunged in the bed, coming fully awake a she shouted his name into the darkness of her bedroom. For a moment, she looked around, confused, unfulfilled, aching, wondering where he'd gone. _Bloody hell,_ she thought. _Another dream. Why must I always have these dreams? After all these years, how can I still want him as much as I did the day I left?_

It had been sixteen long years since Artemis cleaned her belongings out of the little flat in London. Sixteen years since she decided she could no longer compete with Lily's memory. Sixteen years, but never had a week gone by without her dreaming about Severus, missing him, wishing she would open the door to find him there.

Artemis flung herself out of bed and shivered. She was wearing nothing but a tank top and it was soaked through from the intensity of her dream. Stripping it off, she rummaged in a drawer and finally found a t-shirt and a set of flannel pajama bottoms. After she dressed, Artemis put her hands on her hips and looked around the moonlit room.

"Well," she said to no one in particular. "There will be no getting back to sleep now. I may as well get something done." Instead, however, of leaving the room, Artemis walked to the window and leaned her hands on the sill. There was a faint light in the sky. Sunrise wasn't much more than an hour away. The view outside was as spectacular as it had been the day she leased the little chalet, and it was this view of the lake and the Swiss Alps beyond that had made her choose it.

She picked up her wand when she turned back from the window and sighed, "_Accio slippers._" Moments later, the slippers flew in from whatever location she'd left them the night before. Three doors down the hall was her work room. As soon as she entered, about two dozen candles leaped to life. Artemis preferred working on her charms by candlelight. Another flick of her wand brought a cheery fire to the hearth.

Artemis picked up a half-finished wand. In addition to her charms, she'd started making wands of her own. The shaft of willow had dragon eyelashes for a core. She smiled; she did have a talent for wand-making. It ran in the Ollivander family. Artemis couldn't help but think that her father would be pleased with the quality. _Her father… _That thought made her shoulders slump again, as she realized how familiar she'd become with regret and sadness. Intimately entwined with her memories of her father and her memories of Severus, they were a daily companion in her life and it was hard to remember a time when they weren't there.

It wasn't that she hadn't tried to move on. She'd need a third hand to count the number of screaming fights she'd had with Raven over her apparent inability to forget about Severus Snape. Clarissa, true to her more passive nature, had never confronted Artemis directly but had meddled in her own way. It was a testament to their friendship that the three were still close, although if she were being honest, Artemis had to admit that Raven didn't send owls as much as she used to.

"Not that I blame her," sighed Artemis as she sat down and looked at the three charms in front of her. "Every argument was the same." She remembered yelling once at Raven, telling her, _"There's a hole there, a gaping bloody hole. And no matter what I pour into it, it is never enough. Never bloody enough!"_

Oh, and she had tried to fill it. There had been Jacques Davignon in Paris and Nico Calendri in Florence, both wonderful young distractions. Christof Larsen was brilliant, but in the end, couldn't stand up to her sometimes hot temper. Boris Krum – uncle to the up-and-coming Quidditch player, Viktor Krum – had been entertaining enough, but only had a head for Quidditch and Artemis soon tired of him.

Hugh Mallory, a British ex-pat wizard who had fled Voldemort's expanding influence had tried hard to win her heart until he exhausted himself competing with Severus' memory. When Hugh had left her, Artemis realized that she finally understood why Severus couldn't let go of Lily. It didn't make the pain go away, but the knowledge made it a little more bearable for her.

And six months ago, she'd told Kevin Kinloch to go. The Irish wizard had been a wonderful match for her, everything she should have or could have wanted in a partner, but even he couldn't fill that empty spot in her heart. Kevin, like most of the others, had wanted to make her happy, had tried his best to make her happy. Artemis had tried to LET each of them make her happy, and at times, she even thought that happiness was secondary if just one of them could make her forget Severus Snape.

None of them could.

Shaking herself out of the melancholy memories, Artemis forced herself to focus on her work, but she had barely decided which one to work on when an odd noise drew her attention away. She looked over her shoulder at the fireplace. The orange flames flared red and then blue and a face emerged within the embers.

"Artemis? Artemis!"

"Clarissa? What's wrong? It is so early…" Artemis knelt down in front of the hearth.

"Oh, Artemis. Things are going so wrong here. You've heard that Voldemort has returned?"

"Yes, it took the Ministry long enough to figure it out," said Artemis. "Idiots."

"He's taken your father, Artemis," said Clarissa.

For a moment, Artemis said nothing as her skin turned to ice despite how close she was to the fire. "What did you say?" The words, when they came, were slow and deliberate. Her mouth felt as if it was filled with ash.

"The Dark Lord… and the Death Eaters… They've taken your father, Artemis. I don't know why. The shop was torn apart and the Dark Mark was there. No one has seen your father since." There were tears in Clarissa's voice. She knew very well what the Death Eaters were capable of.

_My father? They've kidnapped my father?_ Artemis was astounded and terrified. _What do they want with my father?_

Artemis loved her father, she really did, and in that moment she keenly regretted never making amends with him. After she left Severus, she couldn't bring herself to face an I-told-you-so lecture from her father. It was easier to maintain her silence than to face that, so she'd never contacted him. And Ian had never tried to reach her, although she knew that he always asked Raven and Clarissa how she was.

"I'll be home within a day, Clarissa. Thank you."

-- -- -- -- -- --

_I know we had quite a time jump here, but writing 16 years worth of filler seemed counterproductive to the story. The other thing I want to mention is that I'm departing a little from canon in coming chapters (I know, this story is AU anyway, so there are already errors in canon)… However, in Deathly Hallows they say that Ollivander was a prisoner of the Death Eaters for a year. It won't be a full year in this story… again, several chapters of angst about her father aren't going to move the plot forward effectively. So, that's it for disclaimers… I hope you liked this chapter. I'd love to get feedback from you – what's good, what's bad, and maybe what you might like to see in the future. You never know where a good, inspired idea will come from!_


	20. Chapter 20: Cold Homecoming

**Chapter 20: Cold Homecoming**

Severus sat behind the Headmaster's desk. Leaning back in his chair, he rubbed the bridge of his nose. He had a pounding headache and the potion he'd taken hadn't taken effect yet. A sigh managed to slip past his lips despite his best efforts to deny it. He felt far older than he was, all of the years spying on Voldemort and maintaining his façade of being a Death Eater, had wearied him.

He knew what everyone whispered about him: Death Eater, murderer, monster… Some days he found he was remarkably numb to it. Other days, he wanted to rage and scream and shove the truth down all of their condemning throats until the choked on it. Even the other members of the Order of the Phoenix looked at him wit suspicion and distain. Despite Dumbledore's utter faith in him, they didn't trust him completely.

He thought back to the promise Dumbledore had wrangled from him shortly before he died. Knowing that Voldemort wanted control of Hogwart's, Dumbledore knew the Dark Lord would install Severus as Headmaster.

"_You'll protect the students, Severus? You'll do everything in your power? I want your word."_

Severus had given it, and it had been a taller order than he expected. The Carrows were making his efforts extremely difficult. Keeping them under control without making it seem like he was controlling them too much took a great deal of his time. Couple that with the resentment of the staff and the students and Severus had to admit, his life had reached a new level of miserable.

He ran a finger along the edge of the desk. It was a masterpiece made of polished mahogany – a stark contrast to cheap furniture in the dingy little flat that he usually lived in. He'd given up the flat he'd shared with Artemis and moved into a tiny one-bedroom in a shabby neighborhood after she left. It had been a better place to disappear, a better place to hide his grief and his pain.

Suddenly, he wished Artemis was there. The pain flashed through him as raw and fresh as it had been the night he'd realized that she'd left him. _I have made such a mess of things,_ he thought. _I should have gone to find Artemis as soon as I knew the truth about Voldemort's black heart. I should have given up on Lily. I should have never let Artemis go. I should have begged her to take me back._

Would have. Could have. Should have. But he didn't, and he knew why. If he had left the Death Eaters, disobeyed Voldemort, and gone to find Artemis, Voldemort would have hunted them both down. The Dark Lord did not take betrayal well. Voldemort would have set all of the Death Eaters on his trail, and to punish Severus, he would have given Artemis to his favorites to use as a plaything and then tortured her into insanity… the same way Bella had utterly destroyed the minds of the Longbottoms. He shuddered, repulsed by the monsters that his childhood friends had turned into.

"Severus…" Amycus Carrow burst into the room.

"How dare you come in here without knocking!" thundered Snape.

Amycus was taken aback by the tone of Snape's voice. "Well, pardon me."

"I was appointed Headmaster of this establishment, and I expect that you will understand that and treat me with the respect that is owed the Headmaster. Or will I have to report your recalcitrance to the Dark Lord himself? As of late, he seems to have a minimal sense of amusement." Severus stood up as he spoke and drew himself up to his full height. He cut a rather impressive figure behind the desk. He and Carrow had similar slender builds, but Severus had a presence about him, an authority that Amycus lacked.

"No, no," said Carrow, suddenly contrite. He slouched a little lower to make himself smaller. "I apologize for barging in, Headmaster. I wanted to tell you that I've heard rumors that students have been sneaking out of the Houses at night. I haven't caught any yet, but…"

"You haven't caught any, _but_…" Severus' voice dripped with sarcasm. Amycus was a witless fool, a blunt instrument good only for bashing things into dust. He had no sense of finesse.

Under Snape's unrelenting stare, Amycus felt small and inadequate and he bristled. "I'll handle it," he said gruffly. "They can't keep slipping past me and Alecto. And we will punish them severely. Maybe try a few of the spells they used on the old wand maker… those would make the students talk."

"I'm sure they would, but perhaps something more subtle would be better so that we don't have any students unexpectedly dropping dead," said Severus in a bored tone. Amycus stood there for a moment, shifting from foot to foot. Finally, Severus raised an eyebrow and said, "You may go." He waved his hand dismissively and Amycus, his cheeks flaming, disappeared out of the room.

Severus sat back down. The old wand maker. He'd only heard about Ollivander's abduction after the fact and he was grateful for that. There was at least one person's blood that wasn't on his hands. _I wonder if Artemis knows her father's been taken? _As far as he knew, Artemis had never made amends with her father, but he also knew how much she cared about Ian.

As Severus sat in the Headmaster's office, Artemis was looking at her father's shop. Whatever Death Eaters had come here had pretty efficiently ruined the place. The main window was broken and the door was blasted off of the hinges. The rows and rows of neat boxes were all scattered on the floor, their contents spilled out. Display shelves were torn down and strewn about.

The shop had been "protected" by a pitifully weak shield charm. Artemis was actually surprised there was anything left. It was probably only the presence of the Dark Mark, which still hovered in the broken window, had kept looters and thieves away. She had made some inquiries about her father with official channels, like the Ministry, and with some unofficial ones. While she waited for an answer, Artemis put her mind to cleaning up the shop.

With a wave of her wand, broken glass slid across the floor and gathered in a pile. Then, with another spell, the shelves on the far wall rose up off the floor and settled back into their brackets. Artemis turned to the front of the shop. She was going to need a new door; the old one was shattered beyond repair. The main window was a different story.

"First," she said. "That needs to go." She pointed her wand at the Dark Mark. "_Reducto!_" The spell encased the Mark and dissolved it. That was much better.

"Now…" She studied the shattered window for a moment, her brow furrowed as she concentrated. Using two complex spells, Artemis pulled the appropriate pieces of glass out of the pile she'd collected. Then she pointed her wand at the window.

"_Reparo!_" she ordered. It took almost ten minute for the shards of class to fit back into their appropriate places and fuse together. Soon the window was repaired and the word 'Ollivander's' was displayed in prominent letters again. When that finally finished, Artemis realized she was utterly bone weary. She looked at the scattered wands and sighed. The back storage room looked just as bad as the front, and she knew the Death Eaters must have been looking for something.

"I can't just leave them everywhere," she muttered. With a deep breath, she cast another spell. This one would match the proper wand with its correct storage box. Knowing it would take hours for all of the wands to sort themselves out, Artemis walked out the door so that the spell could finish its work. Her last spell for the day was a powerful protection charm. Anyone trying to break into the store now to steal anything was in for a profoundly rude surprise.

She rubbed her forehead; she felt dizzy and lightheaded from all of the spell-work today. She needed to get some sleep and headed towards the house she grew up in. It was a longer walk than she would have liked, but Artemis was so exhausted that she didn't trust herself to Apparate. The longer she walked, the more she thought about the shop… about her missing father… and about Severus.

_What have they done with my father? What could they possibly want with my father? Was Severus one of the Death Eaters who took him? Would Severus do that? _

When she got to the house she went up to the door but didn't touch the door knob. Instead, she put her hand above the door knocker. There seemed to be a small amount of warmth emanating from it and Artemis smiled. Her father had left her special admittance charm on the door for all of these years. When she was young, he had put a special charm on the door that only the two of them knew about.

"Red licorice bites," she whispered and the door unlocked and opened.

Standing in the dark cold hallway of her childhood home, listening to the cavernous silence, everything suddenly became overwhelming. With a tremendous sob, Artemis began to cry.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

_Thanks to everyone who has read the story so far. From what I'm hearing, you're all enjoying it (at least I hope so). Please feel free to send any feedback you might have – I'd love to hear from you!_


	21. Chapter 21: Healing Old Wounds

**Chapter 21: Healing Old Wounds**

Five days passed. Artemis kept herself as busy as possible fixing the wand shop, and despite her best efforts, her nerves started to fray when no word came about her father or his whereabouts. She went to the shop each and every day, but didn't open it for business. The shop was her father's and it would reopen when he got back. Constrained and chafing under the lack of information and her inability to act, Artemis often felt the urge to trash the place again out of sheer frustration.

On the seventh day, a soft tap sounded at the rear door of the shop. Artemis put down the wand she was examining and cocked her head slightly. The knock came again. Artemis walked down the hall and to a side window. Glancing out, she saw Clarissa standing nervously outside, her hat pulled down and the collar of her cloak high around her neck. Artemis opened the door and Clarissa hurried in.

"What's going on, Clarissa?" asked Artemis after she shut the door.

"Your father was rescued from the Death Eaters. He was being held at Malfoy Manor." Clarissa kept her voice at a whisper.

"What?" hissed Artemis. "Malfoy Manor? _Lucius_ had him?"

"I don't know the details. I couldn't ask too many questions," said Clarissa. "I need to get back to the Ministry, Artemis. There are a lot of paranoid people there right now… I heard was taken to a place called Shell Cottage outside of Tinworth. It belongs to Bill Weasley and his wife."

"Weasley…" said Artemis slowly. She vaguely remembered the name Weasley. There was a red-haired boy named Arthur Weasley when she was at Hogwart's, but he wasn't in her House and he was several years ahead of Artemis.

"The Death Eaters are after the Weasleys, too. Call them bloodtraitors because they consort with…" She stopped before using the word 'mudblood.'

"I'll be careful," said Artemis. "Thank you for telling me." As soon as Clarissa slipped out the back, Artemis grabbed her broom and left. She was careful to stop at a few stores so it didn't appear that she was going any place in particular or was in any kind of hurry. It was probably no secret that she was back, and she simply assumed she was being watched. When a reasonable amount of time passed, Artemis went on her way towards Tinworth.

As evening fell on Shell Cottage, there was – for the moment – a small bit of cheer. In the kitchen, Bill, Fleur, Luna, Harry, Hermione, and Ron all crowded around the kitchen table. Remus Lupin had just arrived and announced that his wife, Tonks, had delivered a baby boy who they'd named Teddy. He even asked Harry to be Teddy's godfather. But that happy news couldn't make them all forget the death of Dobby the House Elf, or that Griphook and Ollivander were recovering from their injuries upstairs.

Suddenly, the house erupted in bird song, making everyone jump. "Bill. _Bill!_ Someone eez coming!" said Fleur.

"Someone is coming?" said Hermione. "Who?"

"Someone unexpected," said Bill grimly. "No one else should know we're here."

"Let's not be hasty," said Lupin. "Everyone be ready for the unexpected. And stay away from the windows. If the bell rings, answer like nothing is out of the ordinary. When the door opens, I'll stun whoever it is. Then we can ask questions when they wake up again. If it is an innocent visit, I'll apologize and move on. If not, then we'll deal with it."

"Get ready…" said Bill. Ron and Harry moved to a more sheltered spot in the kitchen, wands drawn, where they wouldn't immediately be seen. Luna and Hermione went part way up the stairs, ready to defend Ollivander and Griphook if needed. Fleur tried to look unconcerned while she finished the dishes. There was a firm knock on the door.

"Who's there?" called Bill.

"My name is Artemis Ollivander, and I'm here to see my father."

In the silence that followed, the only thing that could be heard was Lupin's low, incredulous whisper, "Artemis?" Lupin drew his wand out and signaled to Bill to open the door.

The door opened.

"_STUPEFY!_"

"_DEFLECTO MAGNUS!_"

Lupin's powerful spell hit Artemis' shield charm full on. There was a roar and a flash of orange light that half blinded everyone in the room. When the brilliance subsided, Artemis was standing in the kitchen with a dancing bubble of light around her. She glared at Lupin.

"Very nice way to greet a visitor. You always were a complete wanker, Remus. I see nothing's changed."

"Sod off, Artemis. No one is supposed to know where this cottage is; you could have been a Death Eater," said Lupin mildly.

"If I was a Death Eater, I wouldn't have knocked." At the mention of the phrase Death Eater, Bill shifted and within her protective bubble, Artemis swung her wand to point at him. "Don't make the mistake of thinking I can't cast more spells," she warned. A moment later, every wand in the room was exposed.

She laughed. "You were at school with me, Remus. You know I wasn't a Death Eater…"

"But you were sleeping with Snape." Lupin as he lowered his wand. "You were friends with the Malfoys. One has to wonder."

"You're very amusing," she said as she lanced him with a withering stare, but she returned the gesture of trust by lowering her own wand and dissipating the protective spell that surrounded her.

"Sleeping with… Snape?" gasped Ron, the idea completely beyond his grasp.

The name conjured nothing but rage for Harry. "Snape is a murdering bastard!" he shouted. "He killed Dumbledore…!"

Only Lupin saw the pain flash in Artemis' face before she replaced it with rage of her own. "I'm not here to talk about him!" she shouted. "My father's here, isn't he? If he is, I want to see him. If not, tell me where he is and I'll gladly go!"

"He's here." The mild voice was Luna's and it almost instantly diffused the anger in the room. "When we were prisoners, he talked about you sometimes. He's missed you. Come on, I'll show you to his room."

Fleur opened her mouth to say something but Lupin shook his head. Artemis followed Luna up the stairs and stopped outside a closed door. Luna looked up at her with tremendously large eyes. "He might be sleeping," she said, and she turned back down the hall.

"Thank you," said Artemis.

Luna smiled back over her shoulder. "You're welcome."

Slowly, Artemis opened the door and slipped into the room. It had been 20-odd years since she'd seen her father, and her knees almost buckled when she saw the frail man lying in the bed. He was thin, much thinner than she'd ever seen him. His white hair was disheveled, and his cheekbones were unnaturally prominent. There were marks on his skin – obvious signs of torture that made Artemis stomach sour and turn acid.

Sensing the presence of someone in the room, Ollivander's head moved and his eyes fluttered open. The familiar silver eyes seemed paler surrounded by the dark circles under the sockets. For a moment he cowered with fear, thinking he was still in the clutches of the Death Eaters.

"Daddy?" she said softly. She'd only called him 'Daddy' when she was very little, but somehow it was the only name appropriate in that moment.

Ian Ollivander's eyes got wider. "Artemis? Is that really you?"

She hurried over to the bed and sat on the edge. Taking his hand in hers, Artemis was horrified. Her father's hands could have belonged to a skeleton.

"Why did they do this to you?" she asked. "What did they want?"

"The Dark Lord wants a wand. A very special wand. He thought I had it, and when he realized I didn't, he thought I would know where it was. Wands have a way of taking on a life of their own; you can feel it when you hold them. A thrum, a tingle…" Ollivander was wandering off on a tangent.

"I know, Dad. I've started making them, too." Artemis smiled.

"You… you have? You're a wandmaker, too?" There was a note of pride in his thin voice.

"Not nearly as excellent a one as you are, Dad…" She stopped abruptly. This isn't what she wanted to talk about. Then it came flooding out of her. "Dad, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I should have come home before this. Long before this. I was so bloody stubborn. I didn't want anyone telling me I'd been wrong, especially not you." She hung her head. "And I have wasted all of these years…"

"Artemis," he said softly. "The fault isn't yours. Love makes us do things…" He didn't mention Severus by name. "I was the one who was stubborn. I only saw things one way and insisted I was right… I could have very well sent you a message or come to see you." He sighed and then patted her hand. "You got your stubborn streak from someone, and it wasn't your mother."

"Can you forgive me, Dad? Will you?"

"If you can forgive me, darling. I never stopped loving you."

Artemis leaned forward and gave her father a gentle hug. In return, he gave her a soft kiss on the cheek and when they drew apart, both had tears in their eyes. A gentle knock on the door interrupted them.

"Eeekscuse me," said Fleur. "I have a tonic for Mr. Olleeevander. It weel help him gain strength."

"Thank you," said Artemis. "Dad, I'm going downstairs for a bit. You rest. We'll talk more later."

Ollivander's big silver eyes followed his daughter out the door and before he took the tonic, he looked up at Fleur. There were still tears in his eyes. "I was afraid I would die in that awful place and never see my daughter again," he whispered. He looked up at Fleur. "I won't turn her away again. Not ever. You'll understand someday, dear, when you have a daughter of your own."

"I'm sure I weel, Mr. Ollivander. I'm sure I weel," said Fleur.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

_Well, a little bit of closure for Artemis finally. Thanks for the recent reviews… I am so very glad that you're enjoying the story (and Artemis). I appreciate everyone who has taken the time to read this story. _


	22. Chapter 22: Friends and Enemies

**Chapter 22: Friends and Enemies **

Artemis' steps were slow as she came down the stairs; images of the past few moments whirled before her eyes. She'd just spoken with her father; she'd hugged him. It seemed so surreal. When she got downstairs, everyone was sitting in the kitchen. Lupin and Bill Weasley were talking in hushed tones, looking concerned. They all looked up when she walked in.

"Thank you for rescuing him," Artemis said to the room in general, unsure of who was actually responsible.

"You can thank Dobby." Harry's voice was still sullen. The loss of the House Elf was fresh and raw, and he couldn't mask his feelings as well as he might like. "Or you could have thanked him… He died rescuing all of us." Next to Harry, Hermione sniffled and put her head on Ron's shoulder. Artemis could see that the House Elf had been very dear to the three young wizards.

"I am sorry to hear that," said Artemis sincerely. "He must have been very brave."

"He was." Harry was slightly mollified when he heard the sincerity in her tone when he was anticipating sarcasm.

"Artemis," said Bill. She turned her attention away from Harry. "We're going to need to move your father."

She nodded. "I know. They'll be looking for him and it is too dangerous for him to stay here, but it is far too dangerous for me to bring him home. It is too exposed there." She thought briefly of her little house in Switzerland and then dismissed the idea. Too isolated, and plenty of people knew she lived there. The Death Eaters would be sure to search there.

"I can take him to my Aunt Muriel's," said Bill. "We've been using her cottage as a safe house. It is quite secure and a good distance from here."

Artemis nodded. Her father seemed to trust everyone here, and she knew for a fact that Lupin and his friends had always opposed the Dark Lord. "You're right," she agreed. "He needs to be someplace safe and quiet while he recovers."

Without a word, Lupin put a bowl of soup down at an empty seat. He gestured for Artemis to sit and sat back down in his own seat. Artemis nodded in thanks and started to eat. Lupin watched her covertly out of the corner of his eye. It had been a long time since he'd seen Artemis Ollivander. She was prettier now, perhaps, than she was back in school, but she looked so very sad.

_I don't know what happened between you and Snape,_ he thought. _One day you just seemed to disappear, and he was never the same after that. But he never talked about it with anyone. At least, not anyone in the Order. _Lupin's face softened. Thinking of the love he'd found with Tonks, he realized how lucky he was.

Lupin wasn't the only person doing some covert observation. Artemis was watching several people in the room. _Bill Weasley must have been handsome once,_ she thought as she looked at the terrible scars on his face. Then there were the four youngsters. She'd noticed the scar on Harry's head and knew right away – by story alone – that he was Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived.

Then Artemis' eyes shifted to Lupin. She hadn't seen him since that final year at Hogwart's. In some ways he hadn't changed. He was as lean and rangy now than he had been at school. But now his hair was peppered with gray, and of course, he hadn't worn a moustache back in school. His clothes looked threadbare and worn, and there were patches where they had ripped. But there was something in Lupin's eyes that she envied. Mixed among the stress, and the worry, she could see this spark of happiness that she wished she could have.

When Fleur came downstairs, she handed Lupin a small blanket. "Zees is for little Teddy."

Lupin unfolded it and smiled. The edge had blue ribbon threaded through it and in each corner there was an embroidered teddy bear. "Thank you, Fleur. Tonks will love it and so will Teddy."

He saw Artemis looking at the blanket. "Teddy's my son," he said, a smile brimming on his face. "Just born a few days ago."

"Congratulations," said Artemis. "That's lovely news." She turned back to her soup rather abruptly. Years ago she'd daydreamed about marrying Severus and starting a family with him. She didn't hold Lupin's happiness against him, but it stood in stark contrast to her own life and her emotions were so raw, she didn't trust herself to speak. And she had no intention of crying in front of Remus Lupin.

From where they sat clustered together, Ron, Harry, and Hermione were also watching Artemis. The fact that she was in Slytherin and had apparently been friends with Death Eaters was all Harry needed to be suspicious of her. Ron shifted slightly and pitched his voice so it was low.

"D'ya think she really was… you know?" he whispered.

"Was what?" said Harry.

"Sleeping with him…" Ron couldn't let Lupin's earlier statement go. "I mean, come on. She's not bad looking… but Snape? Bloody hell."

"Oh, Ron, let it go." Hermione gave him an exasperated look. "There are more important things for us to worry about."

"Well, yea, but I couldn't help but…"

"Hush, Ron," ordered Hermione. She glanced back over at Artemis. Hermione didn't completely trust Artemis either, but there had been a moment after Lupin told her about the baby when Artemis had looked so terribly sad. Something in that look, Hermione knew, was the stark and utter truth.

There was an unexpected bit of a commotion and Artemis jumped up when she heard Luna cry, "Mr. Ollivander! Be careful!"

At the top of the stairs, Ian was clutching the railing as he tried to come down. Artemis' wand was out in an instant. "_Levicorpus!_" she cried and her father floated into the air. Using her wand as a guide, she gently drew him down the stairs and settled him in a chair. Fleur wrapped him in several blankets to make sure his frail form stayed warm.

"Dad! What are you doing?" she asked. "You should be resting."

"I'm sorry to frighten you," he said. "I was just so alone when I was imprisoned. It may have only been weeks, but it felt like years. I wanted to be down where there was light and a warm fire… and where there were friendly voices…"

"Of course," said Bill. "We understand." They did their best to talk about regular and ordinary things for a while so that Ian could be part of the conversation, but it seemed fake to everyone. They all knew there were heavier topics that needed to be discussed, and the longer they were avoided the more oppressive they became. Then, in a lull within the chatter, Artemis could no longer ignore the questions she truly wanted to ask. She took a deep breath.

"Dad? Who took you?" Artemis reached out and touched one of the dark bruises that were evidence of his torture. "Who did this to you?"

"I don't want to talk about it…" Ollivander trembled. "It was terrible."

"Dad, I know it's painful. I know. But you have to tell me," she said. "I need to know."

Ollivander knew the question hidden within the question. She still loved Severus Snape – he could hear it in her voice – and she was terrified that Severus was the one responsible. His answer was soft. "The Carrows. Bellatrix LeStrange. And Malfoy… Lucius Malfoy." Without thinking, Ian raised thin, shaking fingers to a particularly nasty burn mark as he remembered Lucius' curse feeling like razors on his skin.

_Lucius? Lucius did this to you? Death Eater or not, I thought he was my friend!_ Artemis hesitated. "Anyone else?"

Ollivander sighed. He saw the fear in her eyes. "It wasn't him, Artemis. Severus Snape never laid a hand on me. I never even saw him while I was at Malfoy Manor."

Artemis' shoulders sagged in relief. If her father had said it was Severus who tortured him, she wasn't certain what she would do. She did, however, know exactly what she wanted to do to Lucius and Bella, and it was not pleasant.

"So there is one person out of hundreds that Snape didn't have the chance to torment or kill," snapped Harry. "That doesn't wash away his other vile deeds. Traitor. Murderer…"

Artemis surged up out of her seat, fully prepared to have it out with the young man no matter who he was, but a thunderous voice stopped her.

"Enough!" Ian Ollivander's voice filled the room, stronger than anyone would have expected given his condition. "You will not speak to my daughter like that, young man."

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_Thank you for all of the reviews and for those of you who have added this story to your Alerts or Favorites lists. I do appreciate it. There is still plenty more to come with Severus and Artemis, so stay tuned! I'll post again as soon as I can._


	23. Chapter 23: A Debt to Settle

**Chapter 23: A Debt to Settle**

"Enough!" Ollivander's voice was stronger than anyone expected. "You will not speak to my daughter like that, young man." Harry and the others fell silent. They hadn't expected Ollivander to jump to Snape's defense.

"I never liked Severus Snape," Ollivander continued, wagging a finger at the room in general. "But Artemis cares about him and because she does, I will not put up with that kind of name calling. You're entitled to your opinion, but I must insist – insist! – that you mind your manners!"

Artemis was as flabbergasted as the rest of the room. After all the times her father had railed against Severus, hearing him defend her former lover made Artemis wonder if she was in the middle of a very strange dream.

Her father patted her hand. "It is no surprise you still care for him Artemis, no matter what he's done. I tried to deny it; I tried to avoid it but your great-grandmother was right." He looked sad. "I should have told you years ago."

"Told me what?" Artemis asked slowly. Her body was rigid, practically vibrating as she waited for her father to answer.

When he spoke, Ollivander's voice was full of pain and remorse. "When she was dying, she spoke prophecy about you, my dear. About you and the man you love. She said that in your life, there would only be one person you truly loved. Just one. And she spoke of all the blood and pain he would bring you. I should have told you sooner, but I didn't want to think of you suffering like that. I've just made it worse."

Artemis, who had stood up to pace while her father was talking, sagged down into a chair. Lupin expected her to be furious, but when Artemis looked up, she had an odd expression on her face. "It makes sense now," there was relief in her voice. "Now I know why I've never been able to let him go."

"Are you terribly angry with me?" asked Ian.

Artemis shook her head. "No, not really… but… yes. Dad, you should have told me. You should have told me this years ago. But that's in the past. What I want to know now is what Queen Nana's exact words were? Tell me, please. I need to know."

"It was so long ago." Ollivander's eyes unfocused. "I'm sorry, the words elude me. Go to the Department of Mysteries, Artemis. There will be a record there, and you can hear her words yourself." To the side, Harry shuddered. Any mention of the Department of Mysteries reminded him of the day Sirius died. Understanding, both Ron and Hermione gave his shoulder a squeeze.

"I have to go," said Artemis. Distracted, she was talking more to herself than anyone else. "I have to hear it for myself. I'll be back before dinner tomorrow."

"Fine," said Bill. "But I can't wait longer than that to move your father. If you're not here by 5:00, I'm taking him to Muriel's."

"Agreed," said Artemis. She hurried outside without saying goodbye to anyone and Apparated. A moment or two later she re-appeared just outside of Raven's home in London. Artemis pounded on the door.

From inside an irritated voice muttered, "Bloody hell, I'm supposed to be on holiday…" The door was flung open and Raven's jaw dropped. "Artemis? What's going on?"

"I need your help," said Artemis. "Now."

Raven didn't ask questions; she may have had differences with Artemis, but they were still friends. It took her only a moment or two to change, and then they immediately went to the Ministry of Magic. Even in these troubled times, the Ministry teemed with people. Wizards and witches bustled everywhere. Artemis kept her eyes down, preferring not to be noticed, and stayed behind Raven whenever she could. They quickly found their way to Clarissa's small office and enlisted her help.

Since Clarissa and Raven both worked in different branches of the Ministry, no one questioned them as they made their way – with Artemis in tow – to the Department of Mysteries. It was only a fraction as impressive as it had been before the Death Eaters had destroyed most of it. During that battle, over half of the prophecies had been lost, their globes shattered, and their whispered words lost to the universe forever. Together, they searched the eerily lit corridors for nearly 20 minutes.

"I found it!" called Raven. Clarissa and Artemis hurried around the corner to meet her. Raven pointed to a low shelf at a small glass globe. Held on a brass stand, it had bluish mist swirling inside. "You're the only one who can take it off that stand, Artemis. I can't believe it is still in one piece."

After only a momentary hesitation, Artemis picked it up. Raven and Clarissa started to back away, thinking to give her some privacy. "No," said Artemis. "I want you to hear it, too."

In her palm, the glass globe warmed and the mist inside began to swirl. Then Artemis heard Queen Nana's scratched parchment voice. _"Love. Love will be hard for her. Infatuations may abound, affection may fill her days, but only one true love will she ever have… Hawk-sharp, a shadowed soul. He will dance with Death… and blood… only through blood, when only despair and resignation remains, will she truly have him…"_

"Well, that was cheery," snorted Raven when the voice faded away.

For her part, Artemis felt relieved. She put the orb back and they left the Department. In the main hall, Artemis went to one of the hearths that could access the Floo Network. She thanked both Raven and Artemis, stepped into the area, and disappeared in a burst of green flame. She rematerialized near her father's shop, and from there, Artemis Apparated to as close to Shell Cottage as she could.

Once she reached the house, Artemis discovered that the only ones left at the cozy little home were Fleur, Bill, her father, and Lupin. The others had gone, but that didn't lessen the tension in the house. Fleur was bundling Mr. Ollivander into an extra cloak.

"What's going on?" asked Artemis.

"Fleur is going to take your father to Aunt Muriel's," said Bill. "They're leaving in a moment."

"I thought you were going to take him," replied Artemis.

"We're heading for Hogwart's," said Lupin. "We've received intelligence that You-Know-Who is about to lead an attack against the school."

"Others are going, too. Word's gone out to most of the parents. I think there will be a sizeable group converging on the school, but it isn't going to be pleasant." Bill's scarred face was dark and grim.

"The Dark Lord isn't going to care who he hurts…" said Lupin.

"He never has, has he?" Artemis' voice was snide.

"No," agreed Lupin. "His only interest is Harry. He won't care what or who he destroys to get to him."

"We're ready," said Fleur. Ian Ollivander was bundled onto a broom, held securely in place by several spells. Artemis added one more for good measure.

"I'll see you soon, Dad. I promise."

"You be careful," Artemis." Ollivander knew that she was planning to go with Bill and Lupin. "You know what the Death Eaters are capable of."

"I will… and I know." Artemis squared her shoulders and watched Fleur kick into the sky on her broom. Bill's wife hovered while she waited for Ollivander. His broom rose smoothly and obediently waited a short distance behind Fleur. Artemis frowned.

"I'll be fine, Artemis." Her father's voice was unfocused and soft. "You put plenty of security charms on me, and Fleur will take good care of me."

Artemis looked intently at Fleur. "She'd best do that."

As they rose farther up into the sky, Artemis summoned her own broom and turned to look at Lupin and Bill. "You won't be leaving without me," she said.

"You're going to help us fight the Death Eaters? Defeat You-Know-Who?" asked Remus.

"You're welcome to the Dark Lord." She offered a dismissive wave of her hand. Then she looked up into the sky at the tiny speck that was now her father and Fleur. When she looked back at Remus Lupin, her eyes were hot and her voice was tight and angry. "I have business with Lucius Malfoy."

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_Hello everyone! Thanks for reading, and welcome to those new readers who have added my story to their "Alert Lists." I hope you continue to enjoy it._


	24. Chapter 24: A Reversal of Fortune

_**Author's note: **a small part of this chapter overlaps with events in Deathly Hallows. This information has been paraphrased and is used here only to move the plot along._

**Chapter 24: A Reversal of Fortune**

Many, many miles away, Severus Snape was fuming. He threw himself into an arm chair and cursed. His mind was whirling, trying to figure out his next move. After Carrow had interrupted him, Severus realized that Harry was probably coming to Hogwart's to look for the remaining Horcruxes.

Snape had hurried out of his office, intent on distracting the resident Death Eaters. Instead, he'd been attacked by Minerva McGonagall and some of the other professors, and run off from Hogwart's. In effect, he'd been summarily sacked.

"Damn you, Minerva," he hissed. "It is all so much more complicated now! If you'd just trusted me…" Then he laughed at himself. _Trust ME? Of course she doesn't trust me. She hasn't trusted me from the start. Bloody hell, she tried to kill me with those daggers! _If Severus hadn't flung the suit of armor in front of himself, he would have been riddled with knives. He might have been able to temporarily stun Minerva, but that idiot, Flitwick, had animated the suit… Retreat had been his only option.

"Well, if you weren't going to trust me, then why didn't you trust Dumbledore? Now with Potter loose on the school grounds, The Dark Lord and all of his minions will tear the school apart to find him… and they won't care who they hurt."

A sharp rap sounded at the door. Severus knew that sound; Lucius Malfoy's silver snake cane tapping on the wood made an unmistakable noise. With a flick of his wand, Severus commanded the door to open. What he was not expecting was the Lucius Malfoy who stood outside.

Snape kept his face impassive, so his shock wouldn't register. Lucius' eyes were sunken with dark circles beneath them. There were bruises on his face, and he walked stiffly, without his usual imperious, fluid grace. But the most disturbing thing was the lost, frightened expression that haunted Lucius' face.

"Lucius?" Severus gestured to a chair and Lucius sat. He put his elbows on his knees and stuck his fingers into his long, silver-blond hair.

"I have always done as he asked," said Lucius, "and I have been held in high esteem. The Dark Lord gave me responsibilities, he considered my opinions… I was his confidante…"

"Yes, but you have failed in your tasks, Lucius. The Dark Lord is unforgiving of those who disappoint him," said Snape. He didn't let it show in his face, but he felt sorry for Lucius. To have risen so far and then fall so precipitously…

"Now he is asking for you, Severus." The voice was bitter. "He wants you at his side as he finds and destroys Potter once and for all. He wants you; he no longer wants me there. He sent me to bring you to him."

Severus remained silent.

Suddenly, Lucius' voice dropped low. "He thinks Draco is aiding the Potter boy. No son of mine would do that. He is as loyal as I am…" When Lucius looked up again, his face was stricken. "He'll kill Draco, Severus. He will torture and kill my son to punish me for my failures. What am I to do?"

"Don't fail him again," was Severus' simple reply. Severus allowed Lucius to sit in silence, pondering a future that was rapidly turning to dust before him. He wished he could offer Lucius some sympathy, but that would be out of character for a ruthless Death Eater, and at this moment, Severus wasn't going to bring any undue attention to himself.

Finally, Severus gestured. "Come, Lucius. We must go. We should not keep the Dark Lord waiting. He would be… unhappy."

Lucius grabbed Severus by the arm just as they walked out of the flat. "Promise me," he said. "You're my friend, Severus. Promise me you'll ask him to spare Draco. The Dark Lord can… can… do what he likes with me…" Lucius stumbled over the words. He was well aware of the horrors Voldemort might choose to punish him with. "But don't let him hurt Draco."

"I will do what I can." Severus' voice was soft. He was telling Lucius the truth, but the words seemed hollow. _I will try to save your son, but will you call me your friend when you find out that I have been undermining you all these years, Lucius?_

Lucius nodded in thanks. They walked outside and Apparated. Once they arrived. Lucius followed Severus into the Shrieking Shack, clinging to the hope that Severus would be able to save his son. Severus almost didn't hear Voldemort's greeting. All he could see was Nagini, cradled in her magical bubble, hovering near the Dark Lord.

Dumbledore had told him that when Voldemort kept Nagini close and under protection that it would be time to tell Harry the truth. _I need to get to Hogwart's,_ thought Severus. _I need to find Potter!_

Voldemort, however, had very different plans.

Severus had gone to the Dark Lord, fully prepared to do what he needed to get back to Hogwart's so that he could protect Harry – and tell him the truth that Dumbledore had entrusted to Severus. He had diligently studied Occlumency for many years so he could shield as many of his thoughts as possible from Voldemort. And he had taken tremendous care not to give Voldemort any reason to search his mind.

And in the end, he hadn't given Voldemort a reason to search his mind. Voldemort's interests lay elsewhere. In the moment Severus realized that the Dark Lord saw him as a threat, an obstacle, and meant to execute him, he experienced a moment of despair so dark, he nearly buckled. As the shining bubble that encased Nagini enveloped his head, the only thought in Severus' mind was,_ I have failed!_ The pain of Nagini's fangs plunging into his neck was excruciating and he screamed. It was a blood-curdling, terrified scream and he could see Lucius recoil in horror.

The fountain of blood was all Voldemort needed to see, and he turned on his heels and left, drawing Lucius away in his wake, leaving Severus to die on the dirty floor of the Shrieking Shack. Severus reached up and tried to stanch the blood with his own hand, but deep down, he knew it would be futile. _I have failed them all,_ he thought._ Now Potter will never know the truth… and I will die un-mourned, unlamented… branded a Death Eater and murderer…_

Then, to Severus Snape's immense surprise, a face appeared above his. No, not one face, three of them. Staring down at him in shock were Harry, Hermione, and Ron. He gasped, seizing this one moment to fulfill his promise to Dumbledore, his promise to Lily. He allowed the silver strands of memory to pour out of him with the blood.

"Take… them…" He grabbed Harry by the arm. "Take them…"

Unsure why he did it, Harry collected the memories and put them in a flask. It wasn't exactly sadness that Harry, Hermione, and Ron felt as they left Snape to his fate. There was nothing they could do for him, and Voldemort needed to be stopped. But there was a moment of regret; the idea of leaving a man to die – any man – didn't set well with them. Hermione looked back once, and for a moment, she thought she saw a momentary pulsing flash of light appear around Snape's throat.

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_Okay, then! Sorry it took so long for this update… work has been a BEAR! But, I hope you enjoyed this one. I'll try to update again soon. Thanks for reading, and please send me your feedback. I'd love to get a review from you._


	25. Chapter 25: A Promise Kept

_**Author's Note:**__Some scenes from Deathly Hallows are paraphrased in this chapter for purposes of plot continuity. All the credit for those ideas is JKR's not mine._

**Chapter 25: A Promise Kept**

Severus gasped, struggling for air, feeling the blood rattle in his throat. Things seemed thin around the edges, and he wondered how much longer it would take for him to die. Without realizing it, he reached his hand up, running bloody fingers around until he felt the charm beneath the tips.

"It is a terrible thing to die alone," he rasped, truly admitting his fate to himself for the first time. As his fingers curled around the charm, Artemis' face swam in front of him. "Artemis… I am… so… sorry. I wish I could see you… once more…"

Miles away, Artemis, Bill, and Lupin had Apparated as close to Hogwart's as they could and joined a growing throng of wizards and witches – many of them with children at the school – all intent on marching to Hogwart's and helping to mount a defense. As they started to move, a painful shock flooded Artemis and she almost fell to her knees. Her hand flew to her throat where her own charm burned like she'd just pulled it out of the hearth embers. "Severus!" she cried.

"Artemis? What's wrong?" Lupin grabbed her arm. With the din of the crowd, he was the only one who had heard her call Severus' name, and that was only because he was right next to her.

"Something's wrong," she said. "Terribly wrong. _Accio broom!_" Her broom, which had been following the crowd along with all of the other brooms, flew to her free hand. She looked once at Lupin and he nodded. He knew she had to go. She shot into the air and vanished a moment later, and as soon as she was far enough away from Hogwart's, she Apparated.

In the dusty, run-down, web-encrusted main room of the Shrieking Shack, a flash startled Severus out of his growing stupor. He looked around wildly as he heard his name being shouted.

"Severus! Oh, hell!" swore Artemis. She threw herself down next to him and drew her wand. Part of the magic she'd woven into his charm was a powerful healing spell. The flash that Hermione Granger had seen when she left the room had been the healing spell being released from the charm. The healing spell was the only thing that had kept Severus alive, but the bites from Nagini were so severe, that even that spell – unaided – would not be enough. Artemis put her hand on the open wound and pressed, doing her best to slow the blood.

The touch focused Severus. His brow furrowed; surely he must be hallucinating. "Artemis?"

"I promised you." Her voice trembled. "I told you that I'd come if you really needed me."

His eyes rolled up in his head and he lost consciousness. "Don't you die on me," Artemis ordered. "I forbid you to die on me, Severus Snape! If you do I will bring you back so I can kill you myself!" She touched her wand to his chest.

"_Sanguis confuto!_" Severus' entire body convulsed when it was hit by her powerful healing spell, but the blood loss slowed to a trickle.

She moved the wand slightly, but kept it in contact with Severus' chest. "_Restituo valetudo!_" Both of those spells were short-term solutions; neither could save Severus. Artemis leaned forward, oblivious to the fact that she was sitting in a pool of his blood, and brushed the hair away from Severus' face.

"I need to get you someplace where someone can help me. I'm going to take you to Hogwart's; there must be a healer there." She tried not to think about the fact that the healer was probably inundated with injuries from the battle. She summoned her broom, swung her leg over, and rose several feet in the air.

Pointing her wand at Severus, Artemis furrowed her brow as she concentrated. "_Levitus ansi cradelum._" A golden glow appeared around Severus and encased him. From this cradle of magical energy, four strands of glowing light extended up until they attached to the bottom of the broom. Raising her wand again, Artemis wasted no more time on subtlety. She blasted a hole in the Shrieking Shack's roof and soared up into the sky with Severus in tow.

As she descended on Hogwart's, some small part of Artemis noticed all of the destruction, but she was too concerned with Severus to truly SEE what had happened to the school. Large groups of people had gathered together, many crying, and some obviously mourning those who had died. In the press, Artemis finally caught sight of Hogwart's healer.

"Healer! You need to help me. He's dying!" cried Artemis.

Madame Pomfrey hurried over and knelt down, but suddenly stopped when she realized it was Severus lying there on the ground. Her face grew dark. "Death Eater," she nearly spat.

Artemis grabbed her arm and Pomfrey recoiled at the force of her grip. "And a Healer's charter is to help anyone in need." There was accusation in Artemis' voice. "Any wizard, any witch, any magical creature. Are you telling me you won't try to save him? You would stand by and watch him die?"

That question brought Pomfrey up short. No one had ever accused her of something as vile as that, but then again, she had never been in a situation like this before. Pomfrey stared into Artemis' eyes and she couldn't help but be touched by the pain that she saw there. It was a pain she had seen before – when she worked at St. Mungo's she would see that pain in the eyes of people who feared that there was no hope.

"I will do what I can." Pomfrey drew out her wand and added her powerful spells to the ones Artemis was already using. After a few minutes she withdrew her wand and sighed. Artemis stared at her, but managed to bite her tongue.

"For now, he'll be fine," Pomfrey said. "You can augment my spells. You obviously know a thing or two about healing spells. But he's going to need a lot more assistance. I can't promise you he'll make it." She hesitated. "I have to go attend to others…"

Artemis waved her away. "Go. I know… thank you…"

As Pomfrey hurried away, Artemis turned back to Severus. A few people noticed him and the whispers started. As the murmurs passed by McGonagall, she looked up sharply.

"Severus Snape is back?" Her voice was acid.

"Who is that with him?" asked Madame Sprout.

Pursing her lips and looking over the rim of her glasses, Minerva's answer was slow. "Artemis… that's Artemis Ollivander." McGonagall straightened, fully prepared to march over and tell Artemis about the horrible things Severus had done. She did not, however, get very far.

At that moment, Voldemort and his Death Eaters returned, gloating over Harry Potter's dead body.

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_Hope you enjoyed this one. Not a particularly good day for Severus or Artemis! Thank you for reading – and a special shout out to everyone who has sent in reviews or put this on your alert/favorite list. I really appreciate it!_


	26. Chapter 26: The Truth Will Out

_**Author's Note: **__Parts of this chapter incorporate the confrontation between Harry and Voldemort in Deathly Hallows. I have attempted to paraphrase everything so nothing is directly lifted from JKR's work. But the spirit of those sections and the inspiration is hers. This section is used for plot continuity in my story and in no way am I implying that I came up with it myself._

**Chapter 26: The Truth Will Out**

Voldemort's appearance along with what appeared to be Harry's limp, lifeless body caused an uproar. A crowd stood between her and whatever was going on, so Artemis couldn't see much. There were protracted lengths of silence where Voldemort tried to ensnare everyone in a silencing spell. She was pleased when it didn't hold. After each silence there seemed to be one student voice or another that hurled an insult back at the Dark Lord, breaking the void.

Not long after that, the noise rose to a new level. There were cheers and shouts from the crowd – and a chilling scream of anger from Voldemort. Artemis thought she heard everyone chanting the name "Neville," but she couldn't be sure. The battle erupted again at that moment and between the shouts, the screams and the echoing noise of hundreds of spells, Artemis couldn't make out anything else.

There was a whisper of a breeze near her and Artemis looked up sharply, startled. She looked around her, trying to figure out if an attack was coming. No one was nearby but she still felt like she was being watched. _Well,_ she thought. _If they haven't killed me or Severus yet, they're probably not going to…_

Nearby, hidden by the Invisibility Cloak, Harry paused for a moment and watched Artemis work on Severus. He wasn't entirely certain what to feel. He'd spent so many years despising Severus Snape and never understanding why Snape hated him so much.

Now that he'd seen Snape's memories, he realized that the man he'd hated for so long hadn't been the wretched creature he'd believed him to be. Yes, Severus Snape had been mean to him, had treated him cruelly, and had assigned to Harry all of his father's sins. But he'd also been a man who loved deeply, and who sacrificed his reputation and his safety all for love of Harry's mother, and kept his pain and loneliness hidden from the world.

It was going to take Harry a very long time to decide how he really felt about Severus Snape. But that was going to have to wait. If Voldemort won, it wouldn't really matter. He hurried on his way; it was time to end this.

The feeling of being watched disappeared, but then a sudden flash of white-blond hair tore Artemis' attention away from Severus. Her eyes narrowed when they found Lucius Malfoy in the crowd. In an instant her wand was up and the word 'crucio' was halfway out of her mouth when she really got a good look at him.

Lucius looked terrified. There were purple bruises on his face and his normally pristine clothes were stained with sweat and blood. He was calling for his son. A moment later, Narcissa flew into his arms. She was sobbing. Together, they started to run through the crowds, ignoring everything but their own frantic efforts to find Draco. There was nothing Artemis could do to Lucius that was worse than what Voldemort had done. She turned back to Severus and redoubled her efforts.

An uncanny silence suddenly settled over the entire castle. Keeping her wand on Severus, Artemis looked around. Voldemort and Harry were much closer to her than she expected, but they were circling each other with their wands drawn. Every eye in the castle seemed to be riveted to the two of them. Harry spoke, and in the unnerving quiet, his voice carried to every corner of Hogwart's. There was not a wizard, witch, or magical creature on the school grounds that could not hear him.

"Severus Snape wasn't your man, Riddle," said Harry, refusing to use the Dark Lord's preferred name. "He was Dumbledore's from the moment you started hunting down my mother. You never realized it, did you? Because you don't understand. Snape loved my mother for nearly all of his life, from when they were children. He asked you to spare her life, didn't he?"

"He wanted her, desired her," hissed Voldemort. "That was all. Once she was gone, and once that blood traitor Ollivander was out of his life, he agreed that there were women more worthy of him."

"He lied to you," said Harry. "You think he didn't care that Artemis left? After my mother died, he realized how much he really did love Artemis. The only thing that kept him from going to find her was that he wanted to protect her from you. Snape knew that you wouldn't hesitate to torture her to control him, so he never gave you that chance. But he never stopped loving her, the same way he never stopped loving my mother. But you wouldn't understand that, would you?"

From where she sat, still desperately trying to heal Severus, Artemis' heart clenched. All these years apart – and they had still loved each other so much? Severus had turned against the Death Eaters? He wasn't the evil creature that everyone accused him of being! The budding elation in her heart cooled when Voldemort next spoke.

"What does it matter? History will remember Severus Snape as the wizard who murdered Albus Dumbledore, your beloved Headmaster." There was a twisted gleam in Voldemort's eyes as he heard the low rumble of anger in the crowd.

"You know nothing," Harry replied. "Dumbledore was already dying when Snape finished him. He'd put on a cursed ring; I know a lot of people saw his damaged hand. Because of the curse, Dumbledore had less than a year to live. He ASKED Snape to kill him, knowing that Snape would do it quickly, cleanly, and not make him suffer the way you would have."

McGonagall's hands flew to her mouth as the truth revealed itself. _Oh, mercy! Severus was loyal to us all along… I drove him from the school. What have I done?_

Throughout the castle, teacher, parents and students who had thought the worst of Severus Snape all paused. Snape was a spy for… for the good guys? Dumbledore had ASKED Severus to kill him? All of these years, despite all of the terrible things said about him to his face – and behind his back – Severus had remained Dumbledore's man?

"Whatever." Voldemort mocked him. "It still doesn't matter. I killed Severus Snape an hour ago… He's dead…"

"Not yet, he's not!" That voice belonged to Artemis. She swung her body around so that she was squarely between Severus and Voldemort, and glared at the Dark Lord with a look of such savage malevolence that – for a brief moment – it took Voldemort's breath away. Why had he never realized what a magnificent creature she was? Then he saw the utter contempt in her eyes, and the Dark Lord roared at her, furious that Severus still lived.

"You will both suffer for this when I'm through with the boy!" he screamed. "You will see what punishment I mete out to traitors!"

Artemis, her shirtsleeves soaked in Severus' blood, turned away. She knew the Dark Lord couldn't afford to take his attention away from Harry. She and Severus were safe for now, but if Harry failed, they would both die… and die horribly. A spasm rocked Severus' body and she forgot everything else.

"Fight," she whispered. "Fight for me, Sev…"

She never actually saw Harry finally defeat Lord Voldemort or hear the cheers that erupted from the hundreds of people on Hogwart's grounds. Artemis' only concern was the man lying in front of her… the man she had always loved, who seemed to be slipping further away from her with each moment.

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_Well, another chapter down. Hope you're still enjoying! Thanks for reading & I know I sound like a broken record, but I'd love to get some feedback from you!_


	27. Chapter 27: Heaven or Hell?

**Chapter 27: Heaven or Hell?**

Severus' eyelids felt heavy, as if he'd been up for days and was being woken up too early. He blinked and squinted. It was light – white, in fact – and he couldn't distinguish any walls or windows. He sat up slowly and reached up to touch his neck. There was no blood, no wound, and he no longer felt that seeping, expanding cold that had chilled his limbs. In fact, he was rather warm.

Climbing to his feet, Severus brushed his sleeves despite the fact there was no dirt on them. "I must be dead." He looked around. "It seems the afterlife is going to be rather dull."

He wasn't certain what made him turn around, but he did and he saw a small group of people coming towards him. Severus squinted and frowned as they came into focus. Walking towards him was Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, and… James Potter. _So much for a boring afterlife._

"And apparently I'm in hell," growled Severus, but then his voice faded away. Walking with the three men was Lily, looking as young and beautiful as he remembered. He remained where he was and when they were only a few feet away, the group stopped.

James Potter folded his arms and stared at Severus. "Well, well, well. Look who we have here."

"Must I endure you, even in death?" snarled Severus.

"No," James retorted, "since – unlike us – you're not dead yet, Sniv..."

"James!" The tone of Lily's voice said she would tolerate no fights, no sarcasm, no name calling, and her husband subsided. From behind, Lupin put a gentle hand on James' shoulder and James stepped back.

Severus frowned again and looked at Lupin. "Why are you here?"

"I'm dead, mate," said Remus. "My wife, too. Got married just last year… I already miss our son so much…" His sad voice trailed away and then, with visible effort, Lupin pulled himself together. "I'm here because I wanted to thank you."

"Thank me?" Severus looked at him suspiciously. "Thank me for what?"

"For the potions you brewed for me, to help me fight the call of the wolf. For never truly revealing my secret to anyone, even if you did drop enough hints for young Hermione Granger to figure it out." Lupin stuck out his hand and took Severus' without waiting for it to be offered. He shook it vigorously and then he faded into the background.

Lily folded her arms and stared hard at James. When he didn't move she raised her eyebrows. He stepped a few feet closer to Severus, and Sev stiffened, preparing for a verbal – or magical – altercation. The silence grew longer, more expansive, and more uncomfortable.

"Never much liked you, Snape," James finally said. "Never much at all. And I know you never liked me." For a fraction of a moment, James smiled. "But you helped keep my son safe, so I… I owe you a debt of gratitude for that. Thank you." James, his hands in his pockets, gave an awkward shrug and head nod that Severus returned just as quickly. There was no way they were going to shake hands.

"Yea, I never liked you much either and I don't know who you liked less: me or James." Sirius Black flashed his trademark rogue grin. "But I have to admit, Lily was right about you, you're not a completely slimy git."

"Thank you for those high words of praise," snorted Severus.

"Now all of you go, I need to talk to Severus," said Lily. "Alone." She gave her husband a pointed look. After James, Sirius, and Remus all retreated a distance away, Lily looked up at Severus. Her green eyes were kind, thoughtful. A wave of nostalgic fondness rolled through Severus. It was an odd sensation to feel that and not the burning love and desire that had consumed him for so many years.

"I am so grateful that you protected Harry, Sev," she said. "I couldn't have asked for a better man to watch over my son. I know how hard it was for you…"

"I… well… it was no…" Severus fumbled with his words, unable to communicate the complex reasons that had made him safeguard Harry. There was silence for a moment.

"I understand now why you never liked James," she said finally. "You saw him as a rival… Severus, I never knew you were in love with me."

"I found it… difficult… to express myself," Severus replied softly. "I… I loved you so much then."

"And I never noticed, something I'm a bit ashamed of," she said. "I didn't understand until after… after I died and I saw what you did for Harry, for Dumbledore, for everyone." Her expression was open, earnest, and Severus knew it was the truth.

"I need to apologize," he blurted out, knowing this was his one chance to make amends for that one awful moment of his youth. "When I said… when I called you… I didn't mean it. I never thought that about you. I'm sorry."

Lily looked at the ground. "You don't need to apologize to me. What you said was really hurtful, and it took me a long time – a very long time – to forgive you for that." Her emerald eyes were soft and thoughtful. "But I _have_ forgiven you, Severus. I hope you can forgive yourself. We all make mistakes. Love makes us do things we don't always understand."

"Love." Severus' laugh was self-mocking. "Love is something I have been singularly unsuccessful at."

Lily's focus shifted to a point over his shoulder. "Unsuccessful? I wouldn't be entirely certain about that. I don't know if anything other than love would make her try so bloody hard to save your life…"

"Save…? My life?" Severus turned around to see what Lily pointed at and he was stunned. A window had appeared in the misty whiteness and through it he could see inside the devastation that was Hogwart's. He could see himself, lying on the floor, soaked in blood. Kneeling next to him was Artemis Ollivander. She looked exhausted, terrified, there was blood smeared on her face; dust, grime and blood stained her clothes; and the white sleeves of her shirt were deep crimson.

"Artemis…" breathed Severus. Lily smiled when she heard the catch in his voice.

Artemis had one hand on his chest and with the other she held her wand directly over his heart. He couldn't hear what she was saying exactly, but Severus knew she was casting spell after spell. Memories of how he had allowed his obsession with Lily interfere with his relationship with Artemis made his stomach sour with regret.

"She came for you at the Shrieking Shack," said Lily. "She hasn't stopped trying to save you since then."

"I remember. I saw her; I thought I was hallucinating. How did she know where I was or what had happened? It has been so many years. I was so very unfair to her… I sacrificed Artemis because I couldn't let go of you. Why would she try to save me?"

Lily smiled. "Why indeed?"

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_Well, another chapter down. Hope you liked this one and that the interaction between the Marauders and Severus worked. I wanted them to interact civilly, but didn't want to spend a huge amount of time on them – there is too much history amongst them for me to sort it out in a single chapter. Would love to hear what you think!_


	28. Chapter 28: Life and Death

**Chapter 28: Life and Death**

In the Great Hall, Artemis was using every spell she could think of that would heal Severus. She might have a talent for healing spells, but she wasn't a professional healer; her talents would take her only so far. But what she lacked in experience, she made up for in sheer obstinacy despite the fact she was reaching the limits of her power.

As she struggled against the odds, other people began to gather around Artemis and Severus: McGonagall, Arthur Weasley, Professors Flitwick and Sprout. Madame Pomfrey joined them.

"Poppy, is there anything we can do?" asked McGonagall softly. She kept her hands clasped tightly in front of her as if that would ease the ache in her heart.

"No, not right now. I put a powerful healing charm on him and Artemis is continually recharging it. If others got involved right now, it would probably be more power than Severus' system could handle. It really is up to him to fight his way back…" Madame Pomfrey shook her head softly.

Minerva took that to mean that the Healer wasn't holding out much hope for Severus, and her shoulders drooped under the weight of her guilt. _I am so very sorry, Severus,_ she thought. _I wish I could tell you that now._

There was a shuffling near them and McGonagall gasped softly. Pale and frail, Ian Ollivander was working his way through the rubble, supported by Fleur Weasley. "Ian Ollivander?" McGonagall asked. "Oh, my word. What did they do to you?"

"Nothing I care to discuss, Minerva," he said with a touch of tartness in his voice. Fleur looked at Minerva, raised her eyebrows and shrugged. A moment later, Bill Weasley appeared at his wife's side, shocked and terrified to see her there when he'd thought she was safely ensconced at Muriel's.

"Why aren't you at Muriel's?" he asked.

"Zees Monsieur Ollivander is quite feisty deespite how frail ee appears." She sounded torn between admiration and utter vexation. McGonagall smiled. Somewhere in that skinny, abused body the Ian Ollivander she'd known for years still existed.

This entire conversation went unnoticed by Severus as he watched his own body from the soft, white, in-between place where he stood with Lily Evans' ghost. He was so engrossed with the scene in front of him, he didn't feel Lily step away, nor did he feel the encompassing, unnerving presence of Something approach him.

A moment later, Death stood next to Severus Snape.

"It is time to go," said Death with a grand sweep of its arm. Severus didn't turn; he didn't even acknowledge that he heard Death speak. He remained focused on the scene unfolding before him.

"Severus Snape, it is time to go," Death repeated.

"No," said Severus without turning. "It isn't time yet. It isn't."

Death actually straightened up a little. No? He'd said no? Well, that wasn't entirely new. Death was used to people saying "no," but more often it was a pleading, begging refusal, a way to try to buy more time among the living. This "no" was different; this was a flat refusal.

From a short distance away, James leaned close to Lily and whispered. "Is he bloody daft? That's Death. Even _I_ won't ignore Death…"

"Shush," Lily said to her husband.

Death reached out a hand and from the emaciated fingers, tendrils of shadow began to slide out. They undulated and slithered as they got closer to Severus, swirling around him slowly as they built a shroud of shadow. But they did not touch him. Each tendril reached out, hesitated, and withdrew slightly.

"Ah," said Death, drawing closer to Severus to see what it was that had this transitional soul so engrossed. "I see. Your heart still beats because of this woman. This foolishness needs to stop." The shadows retreated, enveloping Death in a swirl of silver-grey and black. When the swirling stopped, Death had disappeared. Lily hurried forward with James, Sirius and Lupin behind her. They all stood near Severus, each entranced by what they saw back in the world of the living.

In the shattered Great Hall a vortex of shadow materialized and expanded, drawing back like the curtains of a grand stage to reveal Death. A frightened murmur ran through the room and those with injured loved ones crowded around them, trying to shield them from Death's gaze. They may never have seen Death incarnate, but deep down in their souls, they knew who had come to Hogwart's, and they were terrified.

"Is this real?" whispered Ron. He was still reeling from his brother's death. "That can't be Death!" He started to shake from fear, from sadness, and was grateful when Hermione slid her arms around his waist and stood close to him.

"Why not? Death has dealt with mortals before," answered Hermione. "Don't you remember the Beedle the Bard tales? The brothers challenged Death and in exchange, Death gave them the Deathly Hallows."

Then Death spoke and they both fell silent.

"You." Death pointed a skeletal finger at Artemis. "You must stop interfering. Release him." It was a command and those who heard it quailed. Artemis recoiled, too, but she steadfastly refused to leave Sev's side.

Angered by the defiance, Death stepped closer. "You will release him!"

"I'm not holding him; he's still fighting to live," Artemis snapped. If anyone had asked her, Artemis wouldn't have been able to say if the bite in her voice was in spite of the fear, or because if it.

"You _are_ holding him! You have almost exhausted yourself. Your spells and your efforts are the only things keeping his heart beating."

Artemis kept her face turned towards Severus, her eyes squeezed shut. Tears leaked between the lashes and down her cheeks.

"You are just afraid," said Death, "as most mortals are. You fear that he will go Beyond, where the woman he loves is waiting, and he will leave you here… alone." Despite the fact that Death's voice was soft, it was a statement of fact: cold, harsh, true and it cut Artemis to the bone.

"Why would you hold him here, in this painful middle ground between life and death? If it is his time to go," said Death, "you cannot oppose me no matter how hard you struggle. You cannot fight me forever. No one can."

Artemis sighed. Even with Madame Pomfrey's help, she knew she was at the limit of her powers. There was nothing more she could do, and that realization settled on her shoulders, bringing with it despair and a resignation unlike any she'd ever known. Gently, she lowered her wand.

"Severus can do whatever he likes," she said to Death. "Whatever will bring him peace because he hasn't had any for most of his life."

"You're giving up?" asked Death.

"No," said Artemis. "If I knew he wanted me to, I would fight you until my final breath. But staying in the world of the living or going with you is his choice to make. Not mine."

Ollivander heard the resignation in his daughter's voice and he started to shake. Bill and Fleur, who were next to him, both put steadying hands out. They were surprised when, in a fierce, low voice, Ollivander said, "…He will dance with Death… and blood… only through blood, when only despair and resignation remains, will she truly have him…"

"Ian?" whispered Bill. "What are you talking about?"

Mr. Ollivander flinched, blinked, and turned his huge silver eyes to Bill. "Talking? I haven't said a word, son. Not a word."

Artemis leaned forward. She put a hand on either side of Severus' face and kissed him gently on the forehead. "Sev, I so desperately want you to stay… but if you need to go, then go. I will mourn you, but I'll know you're finally beyond pain, beyond all the terrible things that have been said about you over the years."

She hesitated as she wiped tears from her cheeks. "I couldn't understand it before but I know now that there is enough room in your heart to love Lily's memory, and to also love me. I know you loved me once… maybe… maybe you could again? But it is your choice, Sev. Yours. And I know in all these years, you haven't had a lot of choices… Decide what is best for you. I love you."

In the soft white space between life and death, Severus trembled. Lily took his hand and squeezed it. "You have never let anyone else see how deeply you've loved others, Severus. You deserve a chance to be loved that much in return. And it seems quite plain to me that Artemis loves you more than most people could possibly understand…" Lily squeezed his hand a second time. "So few people get second chances like this, Sev. So very few…"

Severus looked at Lily. He looked at Artemis. He looked back at Lily. On impulse, and to James' utter astonishment, he leaned down and kissed Lily Evans Potter on the lips.

Then, Severus Snape made his choice.

-- -- -- -- -- --

_Well, we're getting down to the wire. There are only a few chapters left. I hope you're still enjoying. As always, I appreciate you reading and I would love to get a review from you! Stay tuned for more!_


	29. Chapter 29: True Confessions

**Chapter 29: True Confessions**

Amidst the crumbled walls and shattered glass, Death vanished. All of the collectively held breaths released as one as people checked on their injured loved ones, desperate to see them breathing.

Artemis leaned forward, searching Severus for any change. From somewhere deep in his chest, there was a rattle, a shaky breath that rose and then seemed to fade away. Grief burned in Artemis' chest, threatening to consume her utterly. She started to pull away, to cover her face with her hands in some vain attempt to hide her agony, and nearly screamed when Severus' eyes opened and he grabbed her arm.

"Artemis. Stay. Don't leave." It was little more than an agonized whisper, but the knot of people surrounding them all heard it.

"I won't. I won't." She smoothed his hair and smiled through tears.

"You came back for me." Speaking sent waves of pain shooting through him.

"I promised I would," she said and kissed his hand. "I promised. And I keep my promises. Now, shh. Rest, Severus. Just rest." His eyes fluttered shut, but he kept breathing. Artemis looked up at McGonagall and Pomfrey, her eyes huge.

"You rest, too," said Madame Pomfrey as she pulled out her wand. "Minerva and I can get him to the medical wing of the school." Together, they levitated Severus' unconscious body and hurried towards Pomfrey's medical wing. Artemis followed them, so exhausted she felt like she was watching the world from inside a glass jar.

The next few weeks were hazy for Severus. For a time, Pomfrey kept him sedated to keep him quiet and still while his body replaced the massive quantities of blood that he'd lost. His wounds began to knit, but it would be a long time before the scars disappeared.

Artemis sat with him each day for at least a few hours. When he wasn't under the influence of the herbal potions, they would talk… or at least they did until the subject of the charms came up.

"The one I have like that." Severus' comment was off-hand. "I used to never want to take it off, but now I don't seem to have that sentimental attachment to it. In fact, I'm sorry to say this Artemis but I don't quite remember when you gave it to me."

Artemis folded her hands in her lap. "I'm not surprised," she said. "I, oh, let's just say I insisted that you take it."

"Insisted? Why does that sound like a polite way of saying something else?" he asked.

"It is, I guess. To be honest, Severus, I Imperiused you," confessed Artemis.

Severus was silent, but his face darkened. "You what?" You put me under an Imperius Curse? Why?"

"I was afraid of what the Death Eaters would do to you," she argued. "It was the only way I had to protect you!"

"You put me under the Imperius Curse," Severus repeated, his anger rising.

Artemis flared back at him. "And you've never done that to anyone yourself, is that it? I was desperate, Severus. I didn't think I had another choice."

"You don't do that to someone you love," he snapped. Somehow, the fact that she'd forced him to do something, anything, disturbed Severus deeply. The logical part of his mind knew that he'd done far worse, and that he was overreacting, but he couldn't help himself.

"How dare you judge me," hissed Artemis, her temper finally snapping.

Severus didn't want to keep arguing. "I think it would be best if I rested now," he informed her coolly. He turned over in the bed and feigned sleep. It was a childish way to deal with the anger, but it was all he was capable of in the moment. Artemis, torn between fury and tears, stormed from the room.

"Artemis, what's wrong?" asked Pomfrey when she saw her.

Artemis threw her hands up in despair. "Severus won't talk to me. I told him something that I'd done…" She hesitated for a second, unsure if she should trust Pomfrey with the knowledge that she'd used one of the Unforgivable Curses. Pomfrey just waited.

"Oh, hell," said Artemis at last. "I used the Imperius Curse on him."

"Oh? And what did you make him do?" Pomfrey kept her voice very neutral.

"I made him wear the bloody charm. I made it for him because I knew that eventually the Death Eaters would turn on him and hurt him. I filled it with as many healing spells and protection charms that I could, but I knew it would only work if he had it with him. So, I put the Imperius Curse on him and told him that he would never want to take the charm off. That's all. I didn't force him to do anything wrong…" She sat down hard on one of the benches in the hall and dug her fingers into her hair. "I just wanted to keep him safe."

"And did you tell him that?" Pomfrey sat down next to her.

"I started to, but then we argued." Artemis sighed.

"Well, my advice for what it is worth," said Pomfrey, "is to go back in there now, before time cools down how you're feeling and tell him why you did it. Even if he doesn't answer you or say anything. Tell him and then leave. Let him think about it. I'm sure that he'll understand. It will just take some time."

Artemis nodded. Pomfrey had a point. Running away wasn't going to fix anything. She stood up and squared her shoulders and marched back into Severus' room while Madame Pomfrey went back to checking her inventory of bandages and ointments.

"Severus?" In the room, Artemis could tell by the tenseness in Severus' shoulders that he was still awake, but he didn't turn to look at her. "Fine, then just listen. Maybe it was wrong to use the Imperius Curse on you. But you know what? I'm not sorry. If I hadn't done it, you would have thrown that charm away or put it in a drawer after I left because, and then it would have done you no good."

She paused but he didn't move. "I created the charm because I love you, Severus. I put the Curse on you because I love you. If you hadn't been wearing the charm the day Nagini bit you, you'd be dead. You would have bled out on the floor of the Shrieking Shack. Maybe you can't forgive me for what I did, but I would do it again because I would rather have you alive than dead."

The next day, Artemis came back right on scheduled. She told Severus about her evening, not even acknowledging the fight the day before. The conversation was strained, but not hostile, and Artemis accepted it. What she had said to Death held true here; this had to be Severus' decision.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

_Hopefully you found that to be a satisfactory answer to Severus' choice, but I couldn't just let them fall into each other's arms so you'll have to bear with me while this gets resolved. Thanks for reading – I'd love to get a review from you!_


	30. Chapter 30: Sage Advice

**Chapter 30: Sage Advice**

Over the next few days, Madame Pomfrey discreetly watched Severus and Artemis tiptoe around each other, wanting to be close but wary, both afraid of being hurt again. Whenever Artemis would leave, Severus' eyes would follow her with a clear longing. It was obvious to Pomfrey that he was in love with Artemis, but Severus Snape was a stubborn man if nothing else.

But his angst and conflict with Artemis also told Pomfrey that Severus was well enough to receive other visitors, whether he wanted to see them or not. She quietly put word out through McGonagall that he was well enough to start seeing a few people each day. In truth, he was well enough to see more than that, but Pomfrey knew his temper wouldn't put up with it. As each of the visitors came, Pomfrey told them that if he seemed to be asleep to say what they had to say anyway.

And quite often, he did pretend to be asleep. It was agonizing to listen to them talk, telling him how sorry they were that they'd thought he was a bastard all of those years, and how terrible they felt now that they knew the truth. _Let them feel guilty,_ he thought. _They've earned it; let them carry it. _They eventually talked themselves out and left having unburdened their souls. His feigned sleep was – in his opinion – a far better option than watching them squirm during some long, protracted conversation where he'd actually have to interact with them.

There were a few, however, that he did not avoid. People like Arthur and Molly Weasley. He listened to what they had to say, and he also told them he was sorry to hear about their son's death. He talked to several of the professors, especially Minerva McGonagall. And during all of these conversations, he found himself wishing that Artemis would come through the door; she really was the only one he wanted to see.

The next Ollivander through the door, however, was one he wasn't prepared for: Ian. At first, the conversation was profoundly awkward until Ian finally told him to just be quiet and listen. Ian didn't talk for long, but he told Severus that he'd been wrong about him, and he apologized for the things he'd said when Severus was a young man. Severus asked him a few things, and even made Ian smile. They parted with a shake of their hands, both satisfied with the result.

After that conversation, Severus really was ready to sleep. His slumber, however, was short lived. A deep voice intruded and drew him back to wakefulness. He opened his eyes to see Kingsley Shacklebolt standing by his bedside.

"I hear congratulations are in order, Minister," Severus said.

Kingsley smiled; his interim position as Minister of Magic had been made permanent a few days before. "Thank you. It has been… challenging. I'm sorry I woke you up, but I can only stay for a short time. How are you feeling, Severus?"

"Better."

The new Minister wasn't surprised by the short answer; Severus had never been particularly talkative. At that point, Minerva McGonagall arrived as well. "Ah, Minister," she said.

"It is good to see you, Minerva, and I'm glad you're here. I wanted to speak to you and Severus. During the trouble, Severus was appointed Headmaster by Voldemort…"

"And that represents an inconvenience for you," said Snape tartly.

Kingsley smiled. "I suppose you could call it that. I have decided to appoint Minerva as Headmistress of the school because she was Dumbledore's deputy. That is, if she's willing to serve." Her surprised look had not been lost on either man.

"If that is what you wish, Minister," she said, not entirely unpleased. "It would be an honor."

"And where does that leave me?" asked Severus as he turned to gaze towards the window. _An unemployed double-agent probably doesn't have as many options as one might think._

"As the Defense Against Dark Arts Professor and Deputy Headmaster by my express appointment," said Kingsley.

It wasn't often that Severus Snape was caught off guard, but in this case his head snapped around and his eyebrows went up. "Did I hear you correctly?"

"You did," said Kingsley with a grin. "Professor of Defense Against Dark Arts and Deputy Headmaster, and I think – of course – it would only be appropriate for you to remain as the Head of Slytherin House as well."

Kingsley was careful not to smile at Severus sudden attack of silence. "That is… If you are interested, Professor Snape."

"Yes," said Severus, trying not to appear too eager. "Yes, I would definitely be interested."

"Excellent. Well then, Minerva, we should go talk about some of the repairs being done to the school. Whenever you are feeling up to it, Severus, Minerva will be able brief you on your new responsibilities."

At that moment, Madame Pomfrey bustled in. "If your business is finished, Minister, I need a bit of time with my patient."

"Of course, Madam Pomfrey," said the Minister with a smile. After they'd left the room, Pomfrey bustled around, checking through some jars. She wasn't really expecting Severus to say anything, and she was not disappointed.

Finally, she said, "You're well enough to leave the infirmary. You have been for quite a few days now."

"Indeed." Severus raised an eyebrow at her.

"I've let you stay here because you needed to heal more than just your physical wounds, but the longer you avoid talking to Artemis about how you really feel, the worse it is going to be. Just tear the bloody bandage off, Severus. The pain won't last." She continued to look at the task at hand, rather than at Severus. He didn't say anything.

"You love her," continued Poppy. "I've seen you watch her here when she isn't looking, and your eyes follow her when she leaves the room."

Severus didn't say anything but he did frown. He didn't like people reading him so openly, but Poppy was right. He had needed some time to just think through what had happened, sort out how he felt. And he also needed to talk to Artemis, really talk to her, and tell her everything he felt, the reasons he'd done the things he'd done.

"You haven't given me the bloodroot tonic today," said Severus suddenly in a transparent attempt to change the subject.

"I'm out," said Pomfrey, "and it really isn't necessary. You don't need it anymore. I actually sent Artemis down to storage to get me some more. I need to make a poultice for Professor Sprout."

She stopped at the doorway and turned to look at Severus. She stared him directly in the eye. "In fact, if you go now, I bet you might still find her down there."

-- -- -- -- --

_Well, we're just about done. I have one more chapter planned after this, and then I'm not sure about an epilogue. I'll probably do one, just because I like them and I like how they give a glimpse of the characters' futures. Thanks for reading. Would love to hear from you!_


	31. Chapter 31: New Beginnings

**Chapter 31: New Beginnings **

After all his years as Potions professor, Severus was intimately familiar with the corridors and short cuts within Hogwart's. It was a rather long walk from the infirmary to the storerooms where Pomfrey said Artemis would be. He took as many lesser-used halls as he could, not wanting to be sidetracked by inane conversations. When he finally reached his destination, Severus stopped. The door was only open a crack, and he could hear someone rummaging around inside.

On the other side of the door, in the midst of the well-stocked but haphazardly organized room, Artemis looked at several vials and put them back. _Bloody hell._ _Obviously, Severus didn't organize this particular room. He is more meticulous than this,_ she thought, remembering how precisely ordered all of his potions materials had been back in that little flat all those years ago.

Finally, she found the powdered bloodroot for Madame Pomfrey's poultice. She looked at the messy shelves and wondered if she should spend a little time organizing them. _That will have to wait,_ she thought. _I can always come back later._ Artemis heard the door swing open behind her and a voice froze her in place.

"Artemis?"

It was his voice. Low. Cool. Intimate. Artemis nearly dropped the vial of bloodroot as she spun around.

"Severus."

They looked at each other as seconds ticked by, each lost in their own memories of regret and anger, counting the many wishes they'd each harbored for a second chance, terrified at the opportunity open before them. With a slight tremble in her hand, Artemis put the bloodroot down on the table.

Neither spoke.

The next moment, they were in each other's arms, caught in such a bone-crushing embrace that there was not the slightest bit of space between them. His fingers tangled in her hair, Severus kissed Artemis passionately. In some deep place in his mind, he knew his kisses were too hard, too bruising. But Artemis held onto him tightly, wouldn't let him draw back, and she returned each kiss with a matching fire.

They shifted and staggered as their feet became entwined and tangled, and Severus ended up ramming his back against the door, slamming it shut with the force. The hungry kisses stopped as they both gasped for air, and for some semblance of self-control. Artemis put her hands on Severus' cheeks and felt the dampness. She looked up into his black eyes and feathered her thumb on his cheek. She said nothing about his tears and he said nothing about hers; both knew the tears were a gift that they would both gratefully take in silence.

Finally, he whispered in Artemis' ear. "The way I behaved about the charm… forgive me for that."

"Shhh," she hushed. "We both need to forgive each other for many things. But…"

"But?" He drew back a little, but didn't lessen his hold on her.

She shook her head and a tiny chuckle escaped her lips. "I just somehow thought that after all of this…" She made a random gesture with her hand. "…that things would be the way they were before. Silly schoolgirl fantasy, I suppose… things can never be exactly the way they were."

Severus bent his head and kissed her softly. His lips lingered on hers and just as they parted, he asked, "Would you go out on a date with me, Artemis?"

She blinked and smiled. "A… date?"

He nodded. "We can't turn back time, and you're right; we can't create exactly what we had before. But we can build something new, and I intend to build it the right way. So, I will ask again: would you go out with me, Artemis Ollivander?"

Feeling suddenly mischievous, Artemis tightened her arms around his neck. "I'll have to check," she said earnestly, turning the full force of her large brown eyes on him.

Severus lowered his head so that his lips practically touched hers. "No need for you to check. I've already asked your father for permission," he murmured. When Ian had visited him before, Severus had asked his permission to date Artemis. Ian, tickled by the old-fashioned formality of the request, had agreed.

"You what?" Artemis wasn't certain if he was having a bit of fun with her or not.

Severus rested his cheek against hers and he pulled her a little closer. In her ear, he whispered, "I told you, Artemis. I am going to do this the right way this time. I promise…"

Artemis didn't allow him to finish, smothering his words with another deep kiss. As they kissed, Severus pushed away from the door. Blood was pounding in his ears. He had missed her so much over the years, more than he had ever realized. He lifted Artemis off her feet, carried her to the table, and sat her down on it, all of his submerged desires roaring to the surface. He kissed her lips, her face, her throat.

He stopped for a moment, both of his hands on her face. Artemis looked up at him, hair wild and eyes burning, and Severus felt his knees go weak. He loved it when she looked at him like that, all fire, all passion, and all of it meant for him. Artemis grabbed the front of his robes.

"I have been dreaming about you for sixteen years." Her voice was husky and full as he claimed another wild kiss, his hands sliding along her back up to her neck. In that moment, nothing existed but the two of them, and only the squeak of a rusty hinge as the door opened reminded them that they were not entirely alone in the castle.

"Oh, my. I hope I'm not interrupting?" Minerva McGonagall pursed her lips and peered over the top of her glasses at them. Severus tried to smooth his rumpled robes but to no avail as Artemis slid down from the table as discreetly as she could and ran a hand over her ruffled hair. Her cheeks turning crimson, she tugged at her shirt so that not nearly as much of her throat was exposed.

"Headmistress…! No, no, you're not interrupting," said Severus. "We were just… we were…"

"Oh, for goodness sakes," said McGonagall with a shake of her head. "I know very well what you were doing. The two of you are as bad as you were when you were students. Go! Off with you. Shoo!"

Severus held out his hand. Artemis grabbed it and they hurried out of the room. Left behind and forgotten was the vial of bloodroot for Madame Pomfrey. Minerva tucked it into her pocket and closed the door behind her as she left.

As she looked down the hall where Severus and Artemis had disappeared, Minerva McGonagall smiled.

-- -- -- -- --

_Ah, true love. Isn't it grand? I hope you've enjoyed the latest chapter of Severus and Artemis' story. Thank you to everyone who has read this so far and either added it to your alerts list or left a review. I appreciate it all. As always, I'd love to hear what you think – including suggestions – so please consider leaving a review. Thanks!_


	32. Epilogue: Nineteen Years Later

**Epilogue: Nineteen Years Later**

The staircase rotated and opened into the Headmaster's office, making Severus look up from his desk and the pile of papers spread out in front of him. He looked over the top rim of his glasses to see who it was, and smiled when he realized it was his wife. Except for the streak of silver in her hair, Artemis looked like she hadn't aged a day in the past 19 years.

"How are you?" she asked.

"Fine, but there seems to be more bloody paperwork each year."

"Didn't Minerva warn you about that when she retired and appointed you Headmaster?" Artemis sat down in one of the chairs near the desk and put several books that she was carrying onto the side table.

"She did," he admitted, running a hand through his salt-and-pepper hair. "However, she understated the volume significantly. I'll have to speak to her about that."

"I'm sure she'll appreciate the discussion," Artemis said with a laugh. "You know, I saw the Potters today. Their other son is starting at Hogwart's this year."

"Yes, he is," answered Severus. "Another Potter. I can only hope this one is not like his brother. He's as bad as his grandfather was…" His wife could hear the sarcasm in his voice.

Artemis laughed and shook her head. "I'm glad to see you've let go of all that foolishness, luv."

Severus gave her a sour look. He was never going to be able to let go of all his resentment towards James Potter. "But I'll grudgingly admit that young James makes me realize that Harry really wasn't all that bad when he was a student here."

"Well, in any event, they were at the shop today buying a wand for little Albus. He bonded with quite a lovely one. Cedar with a whisker from a Finnish Rock Dragon for a core."

"If you made it, of course it was lovely." Severus was very proud of Artemis' work as a wand maker. Her father, Ian Ollivander, had retired many years before and entrusted the business to his daughter. When Ian had died three years ago, Artemis encased the first wand he ever made in clear crystal. It was displayed behind the counter of the wand shop next to a picture of her father.

"I don't think you'll find this Potter too disturbing," said Artemis. "He seems rather shy, actually. His brother is much more rambunctious."

At that moment, a cream colored owl glided silently in, dropping a letter onto Severus' desk. The bird hopped up on an open perch, fluffed out its feathers, and shut its eyes, fully intent on a nap. 'Headmaster Severus Snape, Hogwart's' was written on the front in elegant script. He pulled the envelope open, and Artemis watched him scan the letter. The corners of her eyes crinkled fondly. The past 19 years hadn't been perfect, but she loved Severus more now than she ever had.

"Excellent," he said. "Minerva has agreed to come back this semester to teach the special advanced seminar on transfiguration for the Seventh Year students that she and I discussed back over the holidays."

Artemis smiled. "Oh, she agreed? That's wonderful! Marcus will be really excited; you know how talented he is in that area." She patted the stack of books. "Speaking of Marcus, I picked up the books that he and Athena need this year. I just can't believe this is their last year at Hogwart's…"

Severus couldn't believe it either. He glanced at the picture on his desk where his children – his twins – waved and smiled at him. It had been taken earlier in the summer when they had all been on holiday in Italy. He couldn't help but stare at the picture in wonder. There had been a time in his life where he'd truly believed that he would never have a family of his own.

His daughter, Athena, looked quite a bit like him and he found it amazing that as she grew up into a young woman, she somehow managed to make the angular Snape features look elegant. A brilliant student, she was the Head Girl in Ravenclaw. Marcus, on the other hand, was definitely his mother's son. He had her big, dark eyes (and he was very popular with the female students). He also had Artemis' temperament… It was uncommon for him to start a fight, but when he finished one, he finished it decisively.

"Speaking of the twins," he said as he looked back at Artemis. "Have you seen them today? I didn't see them before I left this morning."

"Marcus is on the Quidditch field," Artemis said. "He's taking his responsibilities as Captain of the Slytherin team quite seriously. Athena helped at the store for a while this morning, then I sent her off with Sophie, Nadia, and Caileigh. They wanted to shop."

"We may never see those girls again," Severus muttered as he took his glasses off and tossed them on the table. He glanced back at his daughter's picture and her image grinned cheekily at him. His eyes softened ever so slightly. Artemis smiled as she watched her husband look at their daughter. Athena could spend every last Galleon Severus had, and while he might bluster about it for a time, he would give her just about anything she wanted.

"And I'm sure they'll spend a little time with Jonathan and some of his mates," said Artemis.

Severus frowned. "Jonathan Weasley is not good enough for my daughter," he said firmly. Jonathan Weasley, one of Bill and Fleur Weasley's sons, had finally mustered the courage to ask Athena out on a date earlier in the summer. They'd been a steady item since then, much to Severus' dismay.

Artemis laughed. "As far as you are concerned, no one will ever be good enough for your daughter! Jonathan is a very nice young man."

"Nice? Indeed," answered Severus in a tone that clearly said he didn't believe his wife. "I remember at that age you and I were sneaking off the Astronomy Tower, or having a moonlight rendezvous whenever we could."

"Hmmm. Yes. And if my memory serves, you may have been the one who suggested we slip into the Astronomy Tower, but our moonlight picnic was my idea. So don't assume that it will be Jonathan starting all of the trouble. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, as they say." Artemis gave him a smile that suggested the whole 'cat that ate the canary' scenario.

Severus' eyes almost popped out of his head at the suggestion his daughter would do anything so forward, but he stayed silent, and tried to banish the idea from his head as quickly as possible.

Artemis stood up and held out her hand. "All this talk of young romance has gotten me to thinking. Come on, Sev. Let's go home. I'll make dinner for the two of us. And I have something special in mind for dessert…"

He looked at the papers on his desk. "I really should get some more of these done… The _two_ of us? Dessert?"

"Oh, did I forget to mention? Athena is staying over at Nadia's house tonight, and I told Marcus he could go with Darius and Donnie to see that band they like so much… The Black Cauldron Cats. I told him he had to be home by one in the morning. So, we have the house to ourselves until then."

"Do we?"

"We do." She stood up and gestured with her hand again, giving him a smile that could only be described as coy.

Severus looked at his desk. "I think the paperwork can wait until tomorrow." He got up and came around the desk to his wife.

"You are the Headmaster after all." Artemis' smile widened as Severus used one arm to pull her in close and kiss her.

"Indeed I am."

FINI.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

_Well, that's all folks! I really hope you've enjoyed it, and I hope you've gotten as much pleasure from Artemis and Severus as I have. Both have been wonderful fun to write in this particular story. _

_One of these days, maybe I'll get around to writing some parts of the "missing" nineteen years… but first I need to try to get a little done with my original fiction (and I've got a story based on the Highlander TV series that is in serious need of a rewrite before I can start posting it.)_

_  
In any event, thank you to everyone who has read the story, left reviews, put it on alert lists, and/or recommended it to others. I really, truly appreciate it._


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